Kirby! Dreamland Chronicles
by SilverWarriorWolf
Summary: AU. Kirby is a little Star Warrior living out his life in Dreamland. Follow his adventures as he faces his foes, makes new friends, and does everything he can to keep his beautiful home at peace.
1. Chapter 1: Glimpse of the Past

_Kirby and his friends do not belong to me. If they did, the anime would be much more accessible._

_Kirby and related characters belong to Nintendo, Hal Laboratories, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc._

Episode One: Glimpse of the Past, Part one

Dreamland. The very sound of the name calls to mind a place where fanciful things occur. And rightly so it should, for this is the land where dreams are made. For as long as anyone can remember, the country of Dreamland, on the planet Pop Star of the Gamble Galaxy, has housed the Fountain of Dreams. It is from this wellspring that the dreams of its citizens flows from. It rests in the center courtyard of the palace of King Dedede, where it is free to send the dreams of many individuals throughout the planet.

Once, however, the dreams did not flow, for the fountain had been corrupted by a wicked being imprisoned within, known only as Nightmare.

Nightmare was a terrible creature who ran a huge organization of monsters known to the public as NME. For years, the forces of NME waged war to take over the universe. His only opponents had been a brave race of fighters, the Star Warriors. The monsters and Star Warriors fought against each other for years, until a brave fighter among the Star Warrior's ranks, a valiant Puffal named Meta Knight, defeated Nightmare and locked him, unconscious, in the fountain of dreams. There Meta Knight stayed, vigilant to make sure the prisoner wouldn't wake or escape. He wouldn't have, either, if it wasn't for Dedede.

King Dedede, the so-called king of Dreamland, accidentally awakened Nightmare, who began to corrupt the Fountain of Dreams. Dedede attempted to stop Nightmare's fear from spreading, but he was not a wise individual, and due to his inability to communicate properly, Nightmare was accidently released from his prison by Kirby, a well-meaning baby Puffal.

Once he realized his mistake, Kirby worked, with the help of his allies, to obtain the Star Rod, defeat Nightmare, and to repair the fountain of dreams so that all the dreams of the Pop Star once again flowed free. All was once again at peace in Dreamland.

However, Nightmare had not been destroyed, only weakened. You see, Nightmare had faced Kirby without fear for he knew only a Star Warrior could wield the Star Rod. He was not, however, aware that Kirby, young though he was, was a fledgling Star Warrior, so his defeat at the hands of the infant was both shocking and humiliating. He allowed the Dreamlanders to believe that he was destroyed, and crept back to the shambles of his forces to rebuild his army.

One day, when he is strong again, Nightmare will take his troops back to get vengeance on Dreamland, and especially on Dedede, Meta Knight, and Kirby.

But right now is not that day…

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

Right now, Kirby was enjoying a bright Dreamland day. Like any young one his age, Kirby was not content with just staying inside, especially on such a bright beautiful day. Thus, when he was invited to play outside with some of his friends on a scavenger hunt, the pink Puffal jumped at the chance. Though at first, he didn't quite understand the rules.

"No, Kirby!" Tuff, a young Dreamland boy, cried. "You're supposed to hold on to the scavenger hunt items, not eat them!"

Nearby, Tiff, Tuff's sister, laughed. "What did you expect when you put apples, grapes, and a watermelon as some of the items on the list?"

"Yeah," Ado, one of the resident painters added as she handed a dandelion to her twin, Adeleine. "He can't keep food out of his mouth, not to mention in the basket!"

"Be gentle with him!" Ribbon, a fairy from the nearby planted of Ripple Star, scolded. "He's only a baby, and he's doing the best he can. Aren't you."

Kirby looked up happily after he swallowed the remainder of the watermelon. "Poyo wawa-mewon!" he excitedly proclaimed.

Suddenly, something caught the infant Star Warrior's eye. Without another word of warning, he dashed up into a nearby tree, and stretched out to look over the horizon.

"What is it Kirby?" Tiff asked after Kirby had taken a hold of a tree branch. "Do you see something?"

"Poyo! Poyo poyo poyo!" the little Puffal excitedly bounced up and down on the tree branch, pointing towards the distance. "Poyo wook!"

"I think he's telling us to look that way." Ado turned to her twin. "Adeleine, get on my shoulders. Tell us if you see anything."

Adeleine complied, and strained he eyes to see out over the distance. Suddenly she gasped. "Hey guys! He's right! Theirs smoke out over the distance! It looks like someone crashed right past Kabu Canyon!"

"We'd better head over there to make sure everything's alright," Ribbon stated, and the others nodded in agreement.

After travelling some distance, they came across a small purple and white ship, which sure enough, had crashed. There was some fire, but Kirby quickly put it out with his inhale ability. Once it was safe to proceed, the children began to move the wreckage away.

"Hello!" Tuff called out. "Is anybody in here?"

"Help!" a voice cried out from within the ship. "I'm trapped beneath the control panel!"

The children, upon hearing the voice, headed in that direction and began clearing away the debris. Soon they had unearthed a female alien with purple hair and eyes.

"Oh, thank you!" the woman exclaimed. "I was so worried that no one was going to find me. And I have such important business-" The woman cut herself off once she caught a glimpse of Kirby. "My! Are you the Star Warrior Meta Knight?"

"Poyo Kaabii Medikni! Poyo Dedededede poyo!" Kirby cried out.

"This isn't Meta Knight," Ado translated. "This is Kirby. Meta Knight is at Castle Dedede."

"I must get there immediately then." The woman hoisted herself up. "I have urgent business with Meta Knight!" After taking a few steps forward, however, she stumbled and fell, clutching her side.

"You're too hurt to go that far," Tuff said, helping the woman to her feet. "Kirby's house isn't too far from here. We'll take you there. Ribbon, please go to Castle Dedede and ask Meta Knight to meet us at Kirby's house."

The little fairy saluted. "You got it!"

"By the way," Tiff continued, "that was our friend Ribbon. My name is Tiff. This is my brother Tuff, and these are our friend Ado and Adeleine. What's your name?"

The woman smiled. "Zaroffina."

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It had been fairly peaceful at Castle Dedede for the last couple of days. Or, at least, as peaceful as it can be with a total pengu-child for a king. Still, all was well for the time being, so Meta Knight was taking this as an opportunity to just relax.

He was reclining in the hammock in his room with his mask off. He couldn't see anything without the corrective lenses in the visor, but that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that all was quiet and was going to be able to get some well-deserved rest.

Or, at least, he thought he was. He was just starting to doze when a loud knocking resounded in his room. "Meta Knight! Quick! It's an emergency!"

Hearing the urgency in the voice, the seasoned warrior shot up and grabbed his mask. He rushed to the door, and swung it open. "What is it? What's the emergency?" To his surprise however, there was no one there.

He turned around, and realized that the knocking was coming from the window. Outside, Ribbon was madly thrusting herself against the glass. In response, Meta Knight opened the widow and repeated his questions.

Ribbon panted as she gave her answer. "We-we were playing outside of Kirby's house wh-when Kirby spotted at plume of smoke. We followed it t-to the crash site, and there was a person inside of it. She was hurt, but said she had urgent business with you. You-you need to come back to Kirby's…"

Meta Knight nodded. "I will come." He picked the fairy up, as she was too worn out for the return flight, and stretched out his own wings, a pair of blue-black bat-like wings which were typically hidden beneath his cape.

Ribbon held on tight as they flew away. Meta Knight was a fast flier. Even at her fastest, she couldn't match his speed. Still, she hoped that they wouldn't be too late.

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Zaroffina was resting as the children awaited for Meta Knight's arrival. They did not have to wait long, however, as the sound of flapping wings announced the elder Star Warrior's arrival.

"Medikni! Poyo!" Kirby exclaimed excitedly, before anyone else could do anything, the pink Puffal rushed out to greet his mentor.

Meta Knight's eyes tuned pink with amusement. Kirby did this just about every time they met, even when it was time for training exercises. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what he was like at sixty years of age.

Meta Knight strode forward, doing his best not to trip over the dancing toddler. "I was told that someone had urgent business with me."

"That would be Zaroffina," Adeleine said, motioning inside the house. "She's resting in side."

Something about that name tripped a warning signal in Meta Knight's head. However, nothing in particular came to mind, so he shook it off and entered into the house.

As he did, Zaroffina rose from the bed. Meta Knight bowed deeply (or, at least as deeply as you can when your body is a ball.) "I was told you have news for me, Madam."

Zaroffina nodded. "Yes, and it's quite important that we begin at once." She began as if to speak, but then turned and glared at the children. "Privately."

"Aww, come on!" Tuff exclaimed. "We won't tell anyone! Promise!" The others clambered in agreement, eager to hear what would be so important it would require the attention of the veteran Star Warrior.

"Not everything is meant to be heard by everyone," Meta Knight scolded. "Please wait outside for us to finish."

The children disappointedly trundled outside, when Zaroffina added, "Kirby may stay. What we have to speak of concerns him as well."

Kirby turned to the others questioningly. "Poyo?"

"Go on," Tiff responded. "If you're allowed you can listen."

"Yeah," Tuff whispered to the baby, "and tell us what the big deal's about."

"Poyo!" Kirby eagerly skipped back into the tiny house.

Once he was inside, the door was shut. Meta Knight held up a hand, motioning for silence. After a moment, he turned. "They have not left, so we must be quiet."

The woman laughed. "That is to be expected. Children have a natural need to know everything that's going on. I know I did. Still do."

The three moved into the other room, and the two Puffals turned to their guest. Now that the setting had been made more privet, she initiated her message.

"I'm so glad I found you," Zaroffina began. "There are several things that are very important that I need to collect. You must give them to me."

Meta Knight's eyes flashed bight green in suspicion. He moved closer to Kirby, ready to protect the younger Star Warrior if necessary. "And what would they be?"

The alien's smile turned greedy. She said a single word. "You." With that, she released a small metal canister, which filled the room with smoke.

Meta Knight wrapped Kirby in his cape, as if trying to keep the baby away from the gas, and made a dash for the door. However, it was too late, as both of them had already been exposed. The gas worked fast, and the veteran only stayed awake long enough to see Kirby fall unconscious. Then the darkness took him.

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Outside, the other kids awaited the meeting to end.

"This is bogus!" Tuff grumbled in frustration. "Every time there's some cool Star Warrior-y thing that's going on, we get shooed out!"

"Come on, Tuff," Tiff said, shaking her head. "We don't need to know every single thing that's going on."

"But what if it's something to do with Nightmare?" he exclaimed. "Wouldn't we want to know what's happening so that we can help Kirby this time?!"

"Nightmare? You surely can't be that stupid," a rude voice called out. The children turned, and saw Kirby's bad-mannered neighbor, Tokkori, fly down from his nest.

"That ball a' wind was dealt with a long time ago!" the bird continued. "You gotta be real paranoid if you think he's coming back."

"But after that Meta Knight told us not to let our guard down," Adeleine piped up.

"Yeah!" her twin added. "He said that Nightmare was defeated, but not destroyed, and that he would come back."

"That Creampuff's got his mask on too tight," Tokkori said dismissively. "Besides, if-" Before the bird could finish, there was a loud pop from inside Kirby's house. Immediately, the children rushed to the door to see what happened.

Tiff pulled on the door, but much to her distress, it didn't budge. "Something's made it stuck!" she called out. "Ribbon, can you sense anything inside?"

The little fairy concentrated. "Meta Knight and Kirby are afraid, but I can't feel anything clearer than that!" She focused harder. "I think she did something to them!"

Before anything else could be done, a huge vessel, which had be invisible just a few moments ago, appeared above the small house. A long, tentacle like pipe descended on the place, demolishing both Kirby's house and Tokkori's tree. When it rose again, there was a pile of rubble where the structure once stood, and there was no sign of the three who had been inside.

Tokkori was the first to recover from what had just happened. **"My Tree! That thing just destroyed my tree!"**

"Where'd they go?" Adeleine gasped, as the others scrambled for some sign of their missing friends.

"I'm not sure," Tiff said, "but I think we'd better tell Dad what happened."

"Sword and Blade, too!" Ribbon added. "And we'd better hurry. Kirby and Meta Knight might be in danger."

The children hurried towards Castle Dedede. Tokkori took flight after them. "I'm coming too!" he stated. "This is that knight's fault, so I'm gonna give his boss a piece of my mind!"

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The first thing Kirby was aware of when he woke up was the feeling of something digging into his side. He moved over to get away from the offending item, but only found himself plagued by a similar bother. "Poyo," he mumbled sleepily as he pushed himself to his feet. It took a minute, but soon his blue eyes were glowing, which allowed him to survey his surroundings.

There really wasn't much to look at. He was in a room that looked as if it was woven out of sticks and straw. Nearby, Meta Knight lay, still unconscious and stripped of both mask and armor. Without these items, Meta Knight looked nearly identical to Kirby, just blue and with a pair of large bat wings, which were currently splayed out by the position he was laying in.

Surrounding the duo in a semicircle fashion lay seven brightly colored balls. Red, green, white, brown, yellow, light blue, and purple, and each rested in a small divot. Kirby went and attempted to pick up the white one, but found it stuck in its resting place. No matter how hard he tried, the little Puffal could not make it move, so he eventually gave up and looked out the door of the room.

He was surprised to find that they were in a nest in a tree! That explained the odd building materials. Outside, there were many tree like the one they were hanging from, and a river passed close by. Kirby probably would have noticed other elements of the surrounding area, but soon something else caught his eye.

It was a cluster of bright orange berries, which hung from the branches of the very tree he was in. Eagerly, Kirby flew to the nearest branch, plucked a berry, and ate it. Why, it was the best thing he had ever tasted, and rather similar to Pep Brew. He ate several more berries and then flew to another near berry tree to sample some violet ones.

After a few minutes, Kirby began to feel full. That was when he remembered Meta Knight, still back in the nest in the first tree. The little Puffal gathered an armful of the berries, before hurrying back to await his mentor's awakening.

(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)

The kids rushed as fast as they could into the courtyard of the castle. Once within, they were soon met by their friends, the twins Lololo and Lalala.

"Hi guys!" Lololo called out. "Where have you guys been?"

"Can't talk right now!" Tiff called out. "Where's Dad? Or Sword and Blade?"

"Sir Ebrum is in council with King Dedede," Lalala answered. "I think Sword and Blade are in their rooms, mending their armor. Why are you in such a rush?"

"Long story short, Meta Knight and Kirby are in trouble!" Ribbon called back. "Tiff, Tuff, you guys go and tell your Dad and Dedede. Ado, Adeline, and I'll find Sword and Blade."

"Got it!" The brother and sister rushed off to the throne room, Lololo and Lalala trailing behind, eager to hear the important news. Meanwhile, the rest of the group headed off to the barracks.

Inside the throne room, King Dedede was going on one of his infamous tirades to his royal council, made up of the most prominent members Cappy Town and the surrounding areas. "And furthermore," he continued, "I want to have a permanent twenty-five percent tax increase on all pink puff-balls who live in the kingdom! They're an annoyance, and it's a gaudy color too! Now, on to item seventy-eight, the changing of taxes from money to food items."

Before he could finish another of his ridiculous ideas, Tiff and Tuff burst into the room. "Dad, Dad! There something we need to tell you."

Dedede visibly bristled at the interruption. "We don't have time for any moronic nonsense," the Pengu said, irritation clear in his voice. "I've got sixty-seven more items to discuss, so get a move on it!"

"Now, now, calm down sir" Sir Ebrum said. He and the rest of the council seemed glad for the interruption. "The children seem to have something important to tell us. We can quickly listen and then move back to your list of demand-I mean ideas. Now, go on, Tiff."

'Kirby and Meta Knight have been kidnapped!" Tiff cried out. A frightened hush fell over the council. Meta Knight was Dreamland's famed protector, and Kirby was gaining a reputation similar to his mentor. If some creature had abducted them, what was the country in store for? Almost everyone was in shock from the news, and only one voice sounded in the quiet.

King Dedede laughed loudly. "That's a hoot!" He straightened up, and looked Tiff straight in the eye. "Listen here, Girly, if Kirby were as easy as that to get rid of, then he would've been all the way past Shiver Star by now!"

"It's true!" Tuff voiced in. He and Tiff explained what had happened, with Tokkori butting in every now and then to complain about his tree. When they were finished, even Dedede was at a loss for words.

"Oh, my" a quiet voice said eventually. This was Bandana Dee, Dedede's personal paying intern. He tugged the corner of his blue bandana down nervously. "They really are gone, you say? What can we do?"

"I'll say what we can do!" Chief Bookem, the chief of the Cappy Police, piped up. "We start a search. We don't have any guarantee this alien woman has taken them from Pop Star, and if she hasn't, then we'll find 'em!"

There was a loud chorus of agreement, and soon the council had switched to a plan to find their missing heroes.

King Dedede grumbled as he left the throne room. "Good for nothings can't tell an important issue if it came up and bit 'em. Kirby's gonna show up again sooner or later. Annoying little pinky always does. In the meantime, who's gonna care out the lack of a personal theater in the castle? That was item ninety-four!"

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Meanwhile, Ado, Adeleine, and Ribbon rushed out to the soldier's barracks where Sword and Blade had their rooms. They reached the area without much difficulty, and rushed into the rooms, desperate to convey their message.

Just as they had been told, Meta Knight's two knaves had been sitting in Sword's room, mending the small damages in their armor. Sword looked up as the kids entered, and called out to them. "'Ello, Ado, Adeleine, Ribbon. What brings you here today?"

The two humanoid girls were panting with exhaustion, so Ribbon explained the current predicament. After explaining what she knew, she paused, waiting for them to respond.

The duo of soldiers turned to each other, before Sword turned back to the messengers. "You are certain of what you saw?" he asked. He was skeptical, but more so in the hope rather than doubt. "Meta Knight often sets up training exercises that are meant to test your awareness. Are you certain it's not one of those?" Blade mumbled something in agreement, but only Sword could tell what it actually was.

"Completely certain," Adeleine said, her breath finally caught. "There was nothing left in the rubble to that we could find. They were all gone."

Sword nodded and stood up. "Thank you for telling us. We'll go back and see if we can't find anything."

Ado shot up, eager to help with the search. "Is there anything we can do?"

He thought for a moment, before responding. "Actually, yes, there is. Get Rick and Coo. Rick knows that area like the back of his paw, and Coo's got the best chance of spotting anything from the air. He can also alert Kine and Chuchu of what's going on. Once you've got them, meet us by the wreckage."

The three girls nodded and rushed out. Within the hour, all of Dreamland was searching for the missing Puffals. However, little was discovered.

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Kirby returned to the nest, and found that Meta Knight was still asleep. With little else to do, the baby Puffal began stacking the berries like blocks and arranging them according to brightness of color. After he became bored with that, he instead selected a long stick and began sword practice with it.

However, shortly after he started his practice, a cracking sound came from one of the surrounding orbs. Kirby paused what he was doing and looked towards the intruding sound. When the cracking didn't stop, Kirby walked over to the balls. It was the yellow ball which was making the sound.

Curiosity overcame the young Puffal. He bent down to get a closer look at the object as cracks began to appear along the outside. However, as soon as he did so, a foot popped out and kicked him in the face!

"Aiiee!" Kirby cried in alarm. He immediately dashed over to where Meta Knight lay, and began shaking his mentor vigorously. "Medikni!" he cried. "Medikni! G'up! H'wee! Medikni!"

(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)

Meta Knight lay, strapped down to an operating table. He was in agony from the recent experimentation, but could do little but lay still and wait for his tormenters to return.

He could hear their voices. One of them was Nightmare. He would never forget the dark, cold voice which had condemned the young Star Warrior to this fate. "How is he doing on the trials?"

The other was Nightmare's head crony. Meta Knight had never heard his name, but he was often the one who oversaw the torment. He responded in a very cool tone, as one who had bad news but was trying to downplay it. "He is taking most of the trials well, but we've run into a problem."

"Problem?" Nightmare growled. "What sort of problem?"

"The last trial caused severe injury. He'll live, but he is completely blind now."

"That matters little." The disregard in Nightmare's voice was completely evident. "He is only here to show us Project Night-Terror's limits. How is that project developing?"

"The egg has shown high levels of growth stimulation. It will be the best monster you've ever created!"

"And with it, those puny Star Warrior's will fall for good!"

Meta Knight struggled against his bonds. He had to break free, to get out and stop Nightmare. However, he was tightly bound and wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

As he fought with his bindings, a third voice began to overtake the other two. "Medikni! Wh'up! H'wee kwik!"

Kirby! That was Kirby's voice! Had Nightmare captured him too?!

The veteran Star Warrior forced his eyes open. No, they weren't in NME. That had just been a dream. They were in some sort of nest-like room. Kirby was nearby, shaking him hard. It was clear the baby Puffal was scared.

"I'm up, Kirby" he said, trying to sound as comforting as possible. He tried to move, but found his body unresponsive. He began to grow frightened himself, but he did his best to mask it. "What's wrong?"

The little one hid himself behind his elder's wing and pointed. Meta Knight looked at what was pointed out, and was surprised by what he saw.

The yellow ball had a large piece kicked out of it, and through the hole a glowing blue eye could clearly be seen.

To Be Continued…

_Author's Note: Just as a heads up, this is not a fan fiction for any particular Kirby media. This series is a separate universe, one where nearly all the characters and elements from the various series will interact. Also, most of the references made to the anime will be from _Right Back at Ya_, though some elements from _Hoshi no Kaabii _will be included._


	2. Chapter 2: Glimpse of the Past, part 2

_Thanks for all the reviews! It's always encouraging to see such positive responses._

_Just to let everyone know, I will answer questions in my updates, but I do not answer personal messages._

_Since I got this comment multiple times, I'll start with the issue of Meta Knightmare. I noticed a lot of people say they are tired of this. The idea can have good plot lines, and I follow several exceptional ones, such as _The Nightmare Escapees, _by Memiz, but I agree that it is a little overdone. I lean more towards Kirby being the monster, but I believe it is a little more complicated than that, and Kabu was simplifying matters because he was talking to children._

_Storystosee: On the issue of Meta Knight's blindness, I have an explanation on why he can see. It will be in this chapter. I did not mention it in the last chapter because MK had other issues on his mind at the time._

_xXSilent DreamerXx: Yeah, this site doesn't like emoticons. :( I still put Kirby face up though._

_GingerGuest111: Thanks for pointing out the misspell. I fixed it in the last chapter and it will be spelled correctly in future chapters._

_Only Zaroffina belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to Hal Laboratories, Nintendo, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc._

_Enjoy the story!_

Episode Two: Glimpse of the Past, Part two

Even after two days, the search for the missing Star Warriors was still full on. With no sign of what had happened to their friends, the tension was becoming unbearable for certain individuals.

"Coo! Have you found any sign of them?" Tiff called out.

A large purple owl descended from his flight. "I'm afraid not, Tiff," he said, straightening several feathers that had been knocked askew by the down draft. "There's no indication or evidence of any ship in the sky, and Kine and Chuchu give the same report from the sea. It looks like our kidnapper made a clean getaway." Noticing Tiff downcast expression, he was quick to add, "Now, don't worry so much. Kirby's made of tougher stuff than that, and Meta Knight's with him, too. We'll find them, and I'm certain they'll be quiet alright in the meanwhile."

"I guess you're right," the girl sighed. "I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is going on and if we don't hurry, we're going to be too late."

"That's how we all feel," Coo responded. Suddenly, and idea came to the owl. "I'll go see if Dyna Blade saw anything. It's a bit early for her to be off her nest for long, but she has sharp eyes and might have seen movement or something similar." With that, Coo took back off into the sky.

Tiff turned to go back to the castle. The frustrating thing was that there wasn't really much that could be done at this point. They knew it was a kidnapping, and they knew who the kidnapper was, but information after that became far less clear. For all they knew, their friends weren't even on Pop Star anymore. Tiff kicked at the grass in frustration. If only there was something else she could do.

_Everyone's doing everything they can do,_ she scolded herself. Still, it seemed as if there was little even the combined effort could do.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

There was, however, a single individual who was not working to solve the kidnapping.

King Dedede had been in a foul mood ever since the interrupted council. There was a very special way that Dedede liked things: centered on him. Ever since the discovery of the kidnapping, things had become drastically less him-centered.

Finally, he could take it no longer. "Bandana Dee!" he called out. "Get in here this instant!"

The little orange creature rushed in as fast as he could. "Yes, your highness? What can I do for you?" he asked quickly, eager not to upset the temperamental Pengu.

"Where the heck is everybody?" Dedede snapped.

"Well, sir, Bandana Dee started, "everyone's looking for Kirby and Meta Knight. I mean, they're still missing, and if those kids are right about a kidnapping, they could be in danger."

"It's been two days since all this ruckus about a kidnapping started up. Why won't anybody get the picture that those two will show up when their good 'n ready to?" The king of Dreamland fumed some more.

"But, sir," the smaller creature interjected quietly, "what if they don't?"

Dedede froze. He couldn't think of a response. Meta Knight had always been able to take care of himself, and it seemed that nothing could do Kirby any harm, so the idea that they might need help was foreign to the king's mind. However, he waved the idea out near as soon as it came in.

"That's ridiculous," he scolded. "Those two are impossible to get rid of. I should know. They'll turn up, but in the meantime, I'm getting ignored! What's a guy gotta do to get some attention!"

An idea popped into Bandana Dee head. "Well, sir, I know you're confident they'll return on their own, but the people of the surrounding areas aren't so certain. Why don't you take this time to show your great leadership by leading your own search party? That way, the people can be confident that Kirby and Meta Knight's case is being looked into, and they'll have to listen to you."

"No, no, that'll never work," Dedede grumbled. Suddenly, he brightened up. "I know exactly what I'll do! I'll take this time to show my great leadership by leading my own search party! That way, the people can be confident that Kirby and Meta Knight's case is being looked into, and they'll have to listen to me!"

"Brilliant idea, sir," Bandana Dee said, turning to go back to one of the search parties.

"It certainly is," Dedede grinned. "I thought of it, after all!"

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Meta Knight struggled to move as the cracks continued to circle the yellow orb. However, whatever had been used to keep him unconscious had also partially paralyzed him, so he could only watch while being able to move only a little.

Kirby, meanwhile, had wrapped himself in the older Puffal's wing, trying to hide himself from whatever was coming out. He whimpered, wishing that this would end.

The cracks expanded, and with a sudden jerk, whatever was in it stood up and started walking around with the top part of the eggshell still on its head. Not very well, however, and soon the creature walked right into a wall, and the rest of the shell was knocked off as the creature fell back with a startled "Poyo!"

The duo were startled by what they saw. What had hatched from the egg was a Puffal! The little one was smaller than even Kirby, and was yellow with orange-gold feet and blue eyes. "Poyo," the hatchling repeated as it got up from the fall.

This revelation emboldened Kirby, who eagerly walked over and picked the newcomer up. "Kaabii!" he squealed, delighted in this new discovery.

The little yellow one, however, protested being picked up. After letting out a clamor of poyos, the baby proceeded to squirm free from Kirby's arms. With that, the little one rushed behind Meta Knight.

At this point, however, more cracking sounds arrived. One by one, each of the orbs, now obviously eggs, hatched, revealing a baby Puffal the same color that the egg had been. There were seven in all.

Much to Kirby's disappointment, though, the newborns did not pay him much heed, choosing instead to flock around Meta Knight. The older Star Warrior noticed his displeasure. "Do not worry," he called, moving what little the chemical allowed him to. "They are new hatched infants, so they are imprinting. They will play soon."

This was true. Infant Puffals, when they first hatch, must imprint on at least one adult. This is when the baby recognizes his or her parents. Kirby, though older than them, was still much too young to be considered an adult, and thus the babies rushed over to the only adult present.

Meta Knight then noticed the pile of berries that Kirby had brought in. Why, those were Pep Berries! Where on Pop Star had Kirby gotten those?

He would have to worry about that later. "Kirby, did you bring those in here?" he asked. When the younger Puffal gave the affirmative, he continued. "Why don't you try giving some to our little friends here? I'd bet they'd enjoy it."

Recognition dawned in the little Star Warrior's eyes. Enthusiastically, he grabbed a berry from the pile and offered in to the closest baby, a little brown one with lighter brown feet. "B'wee?" he asked.

The baby looked at the berry for a moment before deciding to eat it. Delight glowed in the little one's eyes, and before long, all seven eagerly clamored around Kirby to be fed.

Kirby handed out the fruit, happy now that he had the little ones' attention. He looked up, and noticed that Meta Knight, though propped up, was still laying where he had originally been. "Medikni 'kay?" he asked. "B'wee?"

"No thank you, Kirby," the older Puffal answered. "I'll eat later." He was too nervous to eat. Pep Berries. He had the only supply of those left that weren't on Popopo, and they certainly weren't at his base. If this place was Popopo, however, then they were in more danger than he initially thought.

He did his best to portray a calm outlook, but what signs he saw made this very difficult. There were many things he did not understand about this circumstance.

First among them was his sight. He had only recently discovered that his mask was off, yet he could see clear as day. It was as if he had never been caught by Nightmare.

Secondly, there was the babies. That these were Puffals, it was clear. Six little boys and a little girl. That part wasn't what was bothering him. What was bothering him is the lack of knowledge of where they came from. Puffal parents are extremely protective of eggs. Seven of them, all alone and left with a stranger, would be cause for alarm. Normally on Popopo, the attempt to get near a single egg would result in an attack by the whole family.

Finally, there was their location. Meta Knight was not clear on it completely, but all signs seemed to point to them being on Popopo itself.

Popopo was the home planet of the Puffal species. Though he had been born there, circumstances had happened so that Meta Knight had not been raised on it. However, he did know of the legends of the planet. Especially of the Legends of Warning.

These legends had been written for multiple purposes, one of them being warnings. The foremost in the blue Puffal's mind was the story of the first year of Tinkuru Popo, the first Puffal Leader, and the origin of the copy ability.

The legend went like this: when the world of Popopo was new, all the creatures on it, great and small, were allies. They lived together in peace and harmony, and all ate from the berries that grew from the Pep Trees that were so common on the planet. One of the creatures among the first chiefs was Tinkuru Popo, the white Puffal.

Now, Tinkuru Popo was a good leader, but he was prone to boasting. When it became clear that his tribe, small though they were, was the most prosperous tribe of the planet, he began to brag of their greatness. Nova, one of the oldest and wisest creatures in creation, was sent and warned Tinkuru Popo that this arrogance would be the undoing of his people, but the Puffal chieftain did not heed the warnings.

Now, as this was happening, the other creatures gathered and discussed what to do about their Puffal problem. One of these creature, a monstrous beast known as Wolfwrath, had hated Tinkuru Popo for a long time, and brought up now his solution. All creatures, be they of land, water, or sky, would turn against the Puffals, and attack and eat them at any opportunity.

So it went. This sudden attacks came and hit the tribe so suddenly that Tinkuru Popo had no time to prepare his people. Many were killed in the attacks. Finally, when it was clear that the Puffal people could take it no longer, the white Puffal cried out, begging for the lives of his people.

The Creator heard this cry, and answered. All those who had participated in the attack were struck witless as punishment, and turned completely into the monsters they had behaved as. Furthermore, as an attack struck, Tinkuru Popo found that he had been given a single strong defense. When he stood in front of a smaller enemy and inhaled, he could copy all his foe's strengths and turn them against the aggressors. So the Puffal species lived, but all the world was their enemy.

This tale had been told by all elder Puffals to their youngsters, and the message of the fable was clear: beware the creature of Popopo. Meta Knight knew this message well, and if he were on Popopo, without Galaxia and with eight small children to defend, then their chances were slim.

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Hope was growing thin among the searchers. A small group, formed by Adeleine, Ribbon, Lololo, Lalala, and their friends Rick the hamster and Phan-Phan worked at clearing out the rubble from the destroyed building.

"Careful there, mate," Rick said, as he went over to help Phan-Phan lift up one of the fallen walls. "Wouldn't want to get flattened out trying to get this on your own."

"Thanks," the elephant-like creature responded. "Why are we doing this, anyway? Didn't Tiff and the others already search here pretty thoroughly?"

"Yes, they did," Ribbon responded, "but it is way too easy for something to go unnoticed in all the confusion. We're here to make sure no stone goes unturned until we are certain that we have found every clue that is to be found."

Phan-Phan nodded sagely. "Ah, I see. So what does a clue look like?"

"Anything that looks like something that shouldn't be here," Adeleine responded. "Could be a footprint, or a piece of cloth. Something like that."

"Would this work?" Lololo asked, and he lifted up what he had found. It was a small metal canister. It had a spray nozzle on the top and had clearly been activated, as it was empty of all contents. It also had a faint imprinted picture on the side.

"That's perfect!" Ribbon cried, and the small group huddled around to get a closer look at the object.

"What's that?" Lalala asked, pointing to the unclear pictogram.

"Let me see if I can highlight it," Adeleine said, taking the canister. Using a bright paint, she traced the pictogram, until whatever it portrayed was as clear as day. It was a capital C with a spear going through the center, and a gun crossing the spear at the top.

"I've never seen that image before," Rick muttered, "but I'm certain that Kirby never had anything like this before. Wonder what that symbol means?"

The group sat and though for a while. After some time, Lalala spoke up. "We might not be able to recognize this symbol, but I bet I know who'll know about it," she cried. "Kabu! If anyone in Dreamland will be able to recognize where this came from, it'll be him!"

"Your right," Ribbon said. "Let's go get the others. Once we're all gathered, we'll go to Kabu Canyon and ask about it."

The others of the group nodded, and turned to go gather together the remainder of their search party.

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"Now, all you here listen up!" King Dedede declared to the small group of people in front of him. "I want all of your eyes front and center!"

It was a motley crew that Dedede was speaking to. Mostly formed of Waddle Dees, the crew was spotted here and there with Cappies and a few other creatures that the Pengu King could impress into his small group. As it is with most impressed groups, the people forming the small gathering were interested in going elsewhere.

As such, King Dedede was having a difficult time holding their attention. "As I was saying," he continued once he thought he held their attention, "I'm afraid I have some of the most tragical news that you'll ever hear. Meta Knight and Kirby have disappeared!" He paused, waiting for the gasps and cries of dismay.

Only one voice spoke up. "We know!" a Cappy called out from the center of the crowd. "I was on my way to help Mr. Curio's search party when you grabbed me!"

"Well, now you're in a better group!" King Dedede retorted. "Now, do we have anyone here who actually saw what happened?" When no one spoke up, he started again. "So we don't know what the kidnapper looks like, but we do know what Meta Knight and Kirby look like, so I want you all to fan out and look for any clues that seem to point to where they've been taken and bring them back here. I'll be here doing the most important job! You're all dismissed for now!"

He turned back to the castle. He really did mean it when he said he had another job to do. He had to see if there was anything his two cohorts could do.

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Meta Knight waited until he was certain that the little ones were asleep until he made his move. He wanted to have a look around the area, to get an idea of what they would have to deal with. However, the nest would be the safest place for Kirby and the babies, so it would be best to wait until they were asleep before slipping out.

Finally, the time came. All of the little ones were asleep. Even Kirby lay in a light doze. Taking his chance, Meta Knight moved quietly towards the entrance of the nest. He had almost made it out when a small voice spoke up.

"Medikni, poyo?" Kirby said questioningly. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, but was determined not to go back to sleep until he understood what was happening.

"Go back to sleep, Kirby," the blue Puffal responded quietly. "I'm going out to get an idea where we are and to see if there is anything dangerous out there. You need to stay here."

"Kaabii come," Kirby said in a determined voice. He was not afraid and wanted to make it clear to his mentor that he wasn't.

Meta Knight shook his head in response. "I know you aren't afraid, Kirby. And I'm sure you could handle yourself against whatever we would find out there. However, these little ones are another story. They would be unable to defend themselves if they were attacked, so I need you to stay here and make sure they stay safe. You can do that for me, can't you?"

Kirby turned back to the sleeping babies. It was true that they couldn't fight back. At this point, they probably wouldn't even be able to fend off a Waddle Dee. The outside seemed to beckon with excitement, but it would be important to keep the babies safe. "Poyo stay," he said finally as he went back to his former position.

"Thank you." Meta Knight smiled as he faced away from the young Star Warrior. He was impressed by his student's maturity. He was growing more and more each day.

With the matter now settled, the blue Puffal spread his wings and took to the skies. There was a light wind prevailing, but it wasn't enough to hinder his flight. As such, he was able to focus on the strange surroundings.

The area seemed to be a lush, almost jungle like atmosphere. Thick trees grew a large canopy over the floor, and it took Meta Knight a while to pierce its cover to get a higher look. When he reach above it, he was surprised by what he saw.

The entire area was enclosed! It was a large segment of area with no visible walls, but when he looked to the sky, he could see no moon or stars. There was merely a black covering, with large lamps hanging from it, which undoubtedly would bring the "day".

Zaroffina's last words came to his mind. She had wanted something. "You," she had specified. So this is what she had meant. They were in a large cage, for who knows what purpose. He, Kirby, and, without a doubt, the newly hatched as well, were just some set of animals to be locked up.

Anger flooded his system and his eyes turned blood red. "Where are you?!" he roared as he flew against the invisible walls of the enclosure. "I know you're watching me! What do you want with us?! Answer Me!"

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Tuff and his friend Poppy Bro. Jr had been going through the main courtyard to rejoin Tiff's group. They had been speaking with several of the members of the adults' groups. It wasn't hopeful. No one had found any evidence to point to where the duo had been taken. The two boys were about to bring Tiff the bad news when something else caught their eye.

It was King Dedede, walking quietly past the few people still out and about. When he thought no one was looking, he walked over to a tapestry and pulled on the long rope hanging next to it. The wall the tapestry was hanging on then flipped, and the king stepped through the opening before the wall flipped back.

Seeing this, Tuff grinned. He grabbed Poppy's arm and rushed over to the tapestry. "Did you see that!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, I saw it," Poppy said, disapproval clear in his eyes, "and I think we should stay out of it. Old trap doors give me the creeps. Come on, let's go join Tiff, she's waiting for us."

"You go if this scares you," Tuff said as he grabbed hold of the long rope, "but I'm gonna have a look. My sis can wait. Besides, all we have is what we already know. We might get something good in here." With that, he pulled the cord as hard as he could and ran down the opening.

Poppy looked nervously. Finally, he broke, and headed down the tunnel after Tuff. "Alright," he called as quietly as he could, "but only quickly. I don't want to get in trouble!"

As the two boys walked down the tunnel, they could hear voices. King Dedede's was the loudest. "What do ya mean you don't have any clue what happened?! What on Pop Star am I paying you for?"

"You don't pay us anything," a calmer voice answered.

As the boys got closer, they got a clearer view of the scene. They were in some sort of laboratory, and King Dedede was standing with two other people, a tall purple snail and a white and blue alien creature in a coat and scarf.

It had been the snail who had spoken, and he continued as he shined a beaker. "We weren't there to see what happened and there had been no evidence to hint as to what sort of machinery took them. Beside, even if there was, it wouldn't be much use to us. I might be good with machinery, but I still need more than a second hand account to go on, and Magolor's area of expertise is not exactly, um, _here_ enough to really be much help."

"I resent that remark!" the white alien, Magolor, snapped. "Just because you don't understand my magic doesn't mean it doesn't work!"

"Maybe magic in general," Escargoon responded drily, "but _your_ magic never seems to work."

"Come on, guys," the Pengu really did not have time for another magic vs science debate. "There's gotta be something you can do that can hint about where those two might have gotten to? You know enough about these sorts of things to have some ideas!"

"Well," Magolor, piped in, "if we can get out to have a look see at the destruction, I might be able to come up with-"

Dedede's eyes went wide. "And have all those Cappies find out you two are still here? Absolutely not! Not after your incident with those enchanted balloon animals, and that serum of yours!"

"You test one little chipmunk with Behemoth Serum and suddenly you're marked for life," Escargoon muttered under his breath. "I don't even see why you're so eager to get them back. I thought you'd throw a party the moment the Kirby vanished."

"I'm not eager to get them back," the Pengu snorted. "I sick of all this nonsense, but nobody will listen to me. If getting those two back gets everyone else back to paying attention to me, then then that's what's gonna be done!"

"Well, I'm sorry, your highness," the snail said calmly as he put his beaker away. "I'm afraid there's nothing else we can do for you."

"Fine!" Dedede snapped before storming out. "I'll see if my Waddle Dees have found anything then. Those guys are far more helpful than either of you, anyways!" With that, the king of Dreamland marched out and went back out the trapped door.

When it was safe to, the boys ran out as well. Tuff couldn't help but snicker when he spied Dedede again, trying to explain to his Waddle Dees that, no, Kirby was not related to plums in any way. "That goof Dedede couldn't find a piece of paper that was attached to his beak."

"Maybe not," Poppy said wearily, "but that could have been dangerous, and we didn't find anything out by it! We shouldn't have done something as risky as that."

"What do you mean, 'didn't find anything out'?" Tuff asked, a sly grin appearing in his face. "We found out Dedede's been keeping secrets. We'll want to tell Tiff and keep an eye on this. It could help us later."

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Tiff had been close to giving up. Days of searching had led to no development, and every day that they found nothing was a day more likely that they'd never find their friends. She had been searching the beach side with Ado and Chuchu the octopus, but nothing was coming up. She was about to announce the time to head home when Ribbon's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Tiff! Ado! Chuchu! We found something!"

The trio looked up. Ribbon, along with Rick, Phan-Phan, Adeleine, Lololo, and Lalala, was hurrying over to the beach side, carrying a small canister. "Take a look at this," the fairy declared, handing the canister over to Tiff.

"A can?" Chuchu declared, more than a little annoyed. "Kirby's life might be depending on us, and you want us to focus on a can?"

"Not the can itself," Lalala responded. "Look at the imprint!"

Tiff looked closely at the mark. "I've never seen this before."

"Neither have we." Rick motioned towards the nearby canyon. "We were going to ask Kabu if he's ever seen it before. If anyone can help us, it's him."

"Good idea," Tiff said, handing the canister to Ado, who slipped it in her art bag. "Let's go find Tuff and Poppy and then we'll go ask Kabu."

However, it was unnecessary to go looking for the two boys. They came running up the beachside at that moment, running and calling out to the small group. "Hey! We found something out!"

"We did too!" Tiff called back. "You tell us first!"

The two boys explained everything that saw and heard while eavesdropping on Dedede. Tiff frowned. "So King Dedede's been hiding these guys, huh? Well, that certainly is suspicious, but we'd better keep it to ourselves for now. If things get stranger on that end, we'll investigate further."

"Now, what did you guys find out?" Tuff asked. Ado explained the canister with the strange mark that was found in the ruins. "Now that we're all together," she finished, "we're going to ask Kabu if he recognizes the mark. If he does, than this little can might lead us right to the kidnapper, and by connection, Kirby and Meta Knight."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Chuchu asked as Phan-Phan placed her on his head. "Let's go ask!" With that, the group headed to the canyon.

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Meta Knight was still demanding answers when panel in the wall slid out behind him, revealing Zaroffina. She was standing behind a glass pane, but could be seen and heard clearly. She was putting her hair, which was now clearly a wig, up on a stand. "My," she said, a sly look appearing on her face. "You're one of my most persistent catches yet. Most would have passed out or given up by now."

"Who are you and what do you want with us?" the knight asked, his eyes never changing from the rich red hue.

The woman smiled, and pulled a scarf over her head and face as she answered. "Right to the point, aren't you? Well, alright, I'll tell you. As you've probably guessed, my name isn't really Zaroffina. What my real name is no matter to you, but you may know me as The Collector. I find rare, endangered creatures and add them to my collection. It's quite vast by now."

Meta Knight's eyes widened for a moment and then narrowed again. "A poacher."

The Collector laughed. "I suppose you could look at it that way. However, I prefer to think of myself as a connoisseur."

"You still haven't answered part of my question." The Star Warrior was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. "Why do you want us? Kirby and I aren't rare, and since you found those eggs, I'm sure you're aware of that fact."

The Collector smirked. "You are only partially right there. You _weren't_ rare. Not a few weeks ago, you weren't, but now you are." Meta Knight's eyes widened again, and his opponent gave voice to his thoughts. "That's the other part of my job. I collect rare, valuable creatures, and when I can't find any, I find creatures to _make_ rare and valuable."

The pieces came together in Meta Knight's mind, and a look of mixed horror and rage came in his face. "All of Popopo…thousands of lives…you destroyed them all!"

She calmly shrugged. "Not all of them. You found those seven eggs. It was difficult in getting them. I did get lucky though. The little green and white ones are twins, which meant I had one less stop to make."

"You monster!" Meta Knight cried. "You fiend! You're no better than Nightmare himself!"

"I was a bit hasty in the destruction of that world," she admitted. "I didn't observe long enough to find out about that imprinting problem. Lost two of the eggs to that. Real shame, they were fine specimen, too." She casually tossed one of the scarf ends over her shoulder and began reapplying her lipstick. "That, to answer your question, is what I want you for. I can't lose any more of my specimen, and since an adult is necessary to keep the infants alive, I grabbed the first I could find. Your little pink friend was just a bonus."

She calmly looked up when Meta Knight did not respond. Upon seeing his eyes, she laughed aloud. "So, that serum I used to fix your eyesight didn't hinder that little trick of yours, huh? Judging from your stance and past comments, I would say that red denotes anger. I'll have to keep track and see if that trait is present in any of the others."

As she turned to leave, she called back one last time. "By the way, I wouldn't try escaping. You're unarmed, in an alien territory, and have no way of getting back to Pop Corn. Such unrest would be…bad for your health." With that, the panel slid shut.

Left alone once more, Meta Knight sunk to the ground. Popopo, a huge populated world, was destroyed, and its destroyer held no more remorse than if it were an ant hill. Now, he, Kirby, and the little ones were literally the last of their kind. This was the second time such a shock had hit him.

After a few moments of mourning, the Star Warrior pushed himself up. Kirby and the babies still needed him. He'd look for a way out of this abominable prison, but he'd keep quiet on why they were there. The others were too young to understand such horror. He alone would bear that burden.

He took a few deep breaths and allowed his eyes to fade back to white. After that, he flew back.

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Kirby sat up straight as he waited in the nest. He was eager to show Meta Knight how good a Star Warrior he was becoming, and keeping watch over the smaller Puffals was the perfect opportunity. He'd make sure nothing bad happened.

There was another part to the young Star Warrior's excitement. All his life, he had been the littlest of all his friends. While it was nice that the other children played with him, at times it was frustrating to be the littlest one in the group. There were times he wished he wasn't always the youngest one.

Now, however, he wasn't the littlest anymore! With these babies, he could be the cool older kid now! There was so much he could teach them. He'd show them how to fly, and inhale, and copy. This was going to be so much fun!

Kirby opened his eyes and glanced over at the small pile of Puffal hatchlings. The little red one had somewhat slipped out of the pile and was laying upside down, sucking on his little nub hand. Eager to interact with the babies, the fledgling Warrior toddled over and set the baby back in the pile right-side up.

He turned to go back to his post, proud of his babysitting skills, when he spotted the reason for the previous disturbance. The yellow one had woken up and, eager to get out moving, was toddling towards the opening in the nest.

Kirby went up to the little one. "Poyo, no," he said as he moved the struggling baby back to the pile. "Ye'lo Kaabii stay, poyo."

The baby did not approve of being told where he was to stay. "Poyo!" he squealed. The minute Kirby set him down, he dashed away again.

"Poyo, no," Kirby repeated firmly, placing the baby down again and sitting in front of him so that he could not escape again. He held a stern look and crossed his arms as best he could to make it clear that he would be listened to. "Medikni say stay, poyo!"

The infant frowned and imitated Kirby's sever look. "Poyo poyo poyo!"

This surprised the pink Puffal. Deciding to try again, Kirby made another face, squinting his eyes and pressing his tongue against his lower lip. Much to his delight, the infant again imitated the face back. "Poyo, good, poyo!" Kirby praised. "Now t'is!" He pulled his face down and stuck his tongue out.

The game went on this way for quite a while with Kirby making a face for the infant to imitate. After a while, another of the babies, the blue one, woke and took notice of what was happening. "Poyo? Poyo poyo!" she exclaimed before getting up and seating herself nearby and joining in the game.

Kirby prepared to continue when the sound of flapping wings signaled Meta Knight's return. Eagerly, the pink Puffal ran to greet his elder. The two babies followed close behind.

"Medikni!" Kirby cried as he ran up. "Kaabii poyo Kaabiis play!"

Meta Knight gave a small smile. "That's nice, Kirby." He slumped down against the side of the nest and closed his eyes.

This concerned the pink Star Warrior. "Medikni 'kay? All safe?" he asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"Huh? Oh, yes, Kirby. There's nothing out there but plants. I'm fine, just a little tired. Just let me rest for now." Meta Knight leaned back and started to doze.

Kirby, still worried but respectful of his mentor's wishes, settled down nearby and started amusing the babies again. As he dozed, the elder Star Warrior smiled, thankful for such a good student, and silently promised the youngster that he would not allow him to rot in this cage.

To be continued…

_Author's note: Time to give credit where credit is due! The Tinkuru Popo legend had several inspirations. The name itself came from the original Japanese name for Kirby, and his description is from his original American artistry. The story itself was inspired by the creation story in one of my favorite books, _Watership Down _(warning: not for little kids!) Furthermore, El-ahrairah from the same book inspired Tinkuru Popo's personality._


	3. Chapter 3: Glimpse of the Past, part 3

_To xXSilent DreamerXx: Once again, thanks for the catch. I'll be sure to watch for those spelling problems. Also, I'm glad you like the babies! It seems to me that Kirby wants to have siblings of his own (just watch "Kirby's Pet Peeve" and "Hatch Me if You Can" for proof) but he's never allowed to have any. I thought this would be a cute way of fulfilling that wish.__  
><em>

_Just like you know, I own nothing but the Collector. Everyone and everything else belongs to Nintendo, Hal Laboratories, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc._

Episode Three: Glimpse of the Past, Part three

The sun was starting to set as the group of friends reached Kabu Canyon. The flames of the torches that were always around the wise tiki casted shadows all around. "This place always makes me nervous," Poppy whispered to Lololo. "It's so big and echo-y. It's almost like someone's watching you as you get close."

"That's because there is someone," Lololo laughed, "but it's only Kabu. We don't have to worry about anything with him."

"Do you really think he'll know where Kirby and Meta Knight were taken," Lalala asked. Her mind had already started to think of all the terrible fates that might have already befallen the duo. "I mean, no one's seen this before, and everyone we have asked say they can't remember anyone named Zaroffina. What if she was lying, and she's taken them someplace far away, and is doing horrible things to them?"

"We can't afford to panic right now," Tiff scolded. "We don't know what's going on, but letting our imaginations run away with us is helping no one. We just need to do what we can to find them first, and then see what else can be done to help them."

They drew closer to where the ancient tiki stood. As they approached, the wise creature called out a greeting. "Welcome, young ones. Have you come to consult me on some matter?"

Tiff stepped forwards to act as the children's mouthpiece. "Yes, sir," she called up. "I'm afraid we have some serious news. Kirby and Meta Knight were kidnapped."

"I am aware of this," Kabu said calmly. "There has been much tension among the people of Dreamland because of this. I am certain, though, that you would have come all the way out here at this hour merely to tell me this."

"That's right," Tiff responded. She turned to Ado, who handed over the mysterious canister. "We found this in the area where our friends were taken. It has some mark on it, but we can't say we recognize it. We were wondering if you could tell us what it means." She held up the canister so that the mark could be clearly seen.

Kabu was quiet for a moment, as if in thought, before he began speaking. "I have seen this symbol before, but I did not expect it to appear on Pop Star."

"What is it?" Tuff blurted out in excitement. He backed down again, however, when his sister shot him an angered look.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

"It is the mark of a creature known as the Collector," Kabu continued. "She has used so many aliases that her true name is unknown, but she always has this clear calling card on everything she possesses. However, it is strange that she would come here to add to her collection, especially for creatures that are found in much more abundance elsewhere."

"What do you mean?" Adeleine asked.

"The Collector's past behaviors," the wise tiki explained, "have been a history of stealing rare creature from various worlds, and locking them up in terrariums meant to mimic their home worlds as close as possible. However, she is highly selective on what she takes. Only creatures that are or are near to being the last of their kind are valuable enough for her collections. However, Kirby and Meta Knight's race, though rare here on Pop Star, were once a large people. If she has resorted to taking the two who are here, I fear for their planet."

There was a pause as the small group took in this information. It was Rick who broke the uncomfortable silence. "So what you are saying is this Collector person takes valuable species to keep a hold of so that she is the only one with access to these now unusual creature. That's good news for us!"

"Why on Pop Star would you say that?" Chuchu cried in disgust. "It means that wherever they are, they're being treated like animals!"

"Yes," the hamster explained, "and that in and of itself is terrible, but it also raises their chances of survival. From the sounds of things, the kidnapper views these rare creatures as more valuable alive. If she's going to the trouble to collect near extinct races, she's not going to just kill them. That increases our chances of finding them alive."

"Rick's right!" Ado agreed. Then she thought for a moment. "Uh, Kabu, you wouldn't have an idea where she might be holding them, would you?"

"The collector holds her catches in a variety of ships. They are cloaked so that they are hard to find, but their massive size means they move slowly. It is unlikely that she has gone too far away from Pop Star, but her use of the cloaks means that the ship will be difficult to locate."

"Difficult doesn't mean impossible," Tiff declared, gripping the canister tightly. "We'll do whatever it takes to bring our friends home!"

"Just one question," Poppy interjected. "If they're in space, how are we going to catch up with them?"

The kids froze for a moment. That was right. They didn't currently have any way of travel. Suddenly, Phan-Phan squealed. "Kirby's ship!" he exclaimed. "Rick and I hid it in a cave in the forest after we first met Kirby! I'll bet we can use that!"

"Great idea," Tiff said approvingly. She turned back to Kabu. "Thanks for your help. Now that we know where we've got to go, now we can work on getting there." With that, the young friends left.

Kabu smiled inwardly to himself. These young ones were maturing fast. Perhaps the hopes that a new generation of Star Warriors would arise were not in vain.

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The next couple of days were quiet inside the enclosure. Meta Knight did not tell Kirby all of what he had found out, though he did let him know that there wouldn't be any danger for the time being. The veteran did not wish to cause any undue worry. If it became important for Kirby to know all the details of their situation, Meta Knight would tell him then.

Until then, however, the blue Puffal would be on the lookout for any chance of escape. Any hint of flaw in the enclosure would serve the purpose. A divot that might lead to a place to dig, a shimmer in the glass that might mean a weak point, the warrior search vigilantly for anything that might give him and his companions a chance at freedom.

However, their prison was apparently as sound as sound could be. The walls, though they could not be seen, were harder than rock. The roof, which was made from some reinforced metal, was also difficult to break. It seemed as if the Puffals would never get their chance. Until one morning, that is.

It had been a rather foggy "morning", and it typically was in the enclosure. It was very early, and due to his late night searches, Meta Knight was still asleep. Kirby, who was getting bored with just staying inside the nest until midday, took this as a chance to go outside and play.

He crept over to the entrance as quietly as he could. Before he got outside, however, a small hand touched him. "Poyo?" a quiet voice asked questioningly.

The young warrior turned to see who had spoken. It was the little purple baby, who had crawled over to him. The others were awake as well, and watched with great interest what the older child was doing.

Kirby saw this as a great chance. Now he could finally teach the babies how to play outside, just as his friends in Dreamland taught him. "G'win out," he proclaimed, pointing out of the nest. "Wanna come, poyo?"

The baby peered nervously out of the opening. "Poyo," he mused quietly for a second. Then he nodded. "Poyo!" the infant eagerly declared, and he rushed out to the branch outside the nest.

One by one, each of the infants crawled out. Once they were all on the branch, Kirby motioned for them to watch him. He then took a deep breath and floated down to the forest floor. Once he had reached the bottom, he let go of the breath and motioned to the other. "Now you!"

Cautiously, the little blue one tried first. She held her breath, and slowly floated down to join Kirby. Emboldened by their sister's success, the others followed close behind. Before long, all eight of the young Puffals were on their way to explore their new surroundings.

Meta Knight woke up with a start. He had been in the throes of another nightmare, and had awoken with the terrible feeling that something was wrong. He closed his eyes momentarily, calming himself. He was being silly. For the most part, all was well. They were still imprisoned, but at least Kirby and the little ones were still alive and in the nest. He looked over to where his apprentice lay to allay his fear.

Kirby was gone. Of course, this caused a sudden panic to emerge in the knight. The babies were gone too. Where had they gone? Had the Collector decided to do something with them? Had she done something to discover Kirby's origin? If she had, then that would be a disaster. Hurriedly, the blue Puffal rushed out of the nest, desperate to find his charges.

It wasn't too long before he found them. They had gathered around an area by the wall, and seemed to be playing some game that involved rock throwing.

Relief and anger mingled as Meta Knight descended. "Kirby!" he snapped, disapproval clear in his voice. "What are you doing out here? You know you are not supposed to leave by yourself."

"Sowwy," Kirby said, glancing down towards his feet.

Meta Knight was about to continue when something caught his eye. It was a small detail, something that would have been overlooked by the untrained eye, but he did not miss it.

To the normal view, it would have just appeared to be a warped leaf, something damaged by the wind and rain. However, the Star Warrior had been trained to notice the unnoticeable. This was an area where a stone had struck the wall and left a mark. Not a large enough one to cause too much concern to the Collector, but enough to give the hope of freedom.

Meta Knight regained his composure. "We will discuss this later," he said, trying to mask his sudden change in interest as a time of calming down. "Let us return for now."

The younger Puffal's head drooped as he returned. Meta Knight sighed. He didn't like having to scold Kirby, and he understood his anxiety to be out and about, but there were times when circumstances made it a necessity to stifle one's desires in order to remain safe.

However, the knight kept the discovered imperfection in mind. If that was what he thought was, they might not have to waste away in this cage for much longer.

(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)

"What do you mean this is all they found!" Dedede snapped at his unfortunate servant.

Bandana Dee stood, clutching his spear close as he told the temperamental Pengu the bad news. "Well, sire," he said, the hesitation clear in his voice, "you were rather unclear in your orders. Or at least, unclear to the Waddle Dees. They have been searching for anything that would seem to be related to Meta Knight and Kirby's disappearance."

"And what do they bring me!" The king was almost purple with anger. "A couple of balls, a plum, two Bronto Burts, and a traffic cone! I don't even know how they could have made that mistake with the last one!"

"They've been doing their best, sire!" The unfortunate Dee covered his head. "Just try to be more patient! I promise their doing their best!"

Dedede prepared to bop Bandana Dee on the head when he spied Sword Knight and Blade Knight coming down the hallway. That gave Dedede an idea.

He got up and chased after the two knights. "Hey there, buddies," he called out. "We're friends, right?"

The duo froze. Blade mumbled something in confusion. Sword nodded in agreement. "When did you ever like us?"

Dedede did his best to fake injury. "Well, I never! I've always been fond of you two!"

Sword sighed, picking up on what was going on. "We're very busy right now, sire. Just tell us what you want and then please be on your way."

"Alright then," Dedede said, getting down to business. "You two are in real close to Meta Knight. So if you just say that he and Kirby are just off on some sort of training mission, everyone'll believe you. Then things can get back to the way they were."

Both Star Warrior knaves just stared at the king for a while. Then they turned and left, Blade mumbling something about thinking of others for a change.

Dedede, completely aware he was just blown off, turned back to his throne room, where Bandana Dee still stood waiting. "Of all the nerve," the Pengu muttered to himself. That was when he spotted his servant still waiting for him.

"Bandana Dee, you've given me an idea!" he declared after a moment. "I want you to follow those two and keep an eye on them. They know more than they're letting on. Once you find out something important, report back to me."

The orange creature looked sharp and saluted with his spear. "Yes, sir." With that, he hurried out of the room, eager to get away from the volatile king.

Dedede smirked and congratulated himself on his clever scheme. He'd show everyone how silly all this panic over those two Puffals was and then everything would go back to the way he wanted it. Yes sir, sometimes he even impressed himself.

A voice interrupted his self-flattery. "Sire," Waddle Doo called in, "several of the Waddle Dees say they found Kirby!"

_Well_, Dedede thought to himself, _it's about time_. "Bring him in!" the king called out. "He'll be able to explain what's been going on."

Two Waddle Dees marched in, carrying a brown sack between them. As they came before the throne, they bowed and emptied the bag of its passenger.

What was dumped out certainly _looked_ like Kirby, as it was indeed a pink ball creature with large red feet. However, the mouth was too small and the eyes were black not blue.

"You morons!" the irate king yelled out. "That's not Kirby! That's a Batamon!"

As he hurried after Sword Knight and Blade Knight, Bandana Dee thanked his lucky stars that he was out on this mission, rather than back there, dealing with an incensed Dedede.

(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)

Rick and Phan-Phan worked furiously to unearth the small vessel from the cave. It had been hidden there years ago, when Kirby had first arrived at Dreamland. Back then, Dedede had been even more hostile to the little pink puff than now, so Kirby's new friends had thought it best to hide everything that had to do with him. This had the added benefit that they knew where it was now.

"Almost got it, mates," Rick called out as he and Phan-Phan started pushing the small ship out. The ship was light, so the kids, with a little struggle, were able to pull it out on their own. "Got it! Just like we remembered," the hamster said once they were done.

It was a tiny vessel, really only practical for carrying a single passenger. It was shaped like a bright yellow five-point star with a small bubble-like cockpit for where the passenger would sit. All in all, it was in good shape for having sat in a cave for several years.

"Alright," Tiff said as she opened up the cockpit of the ship. "Let's see if we can't get this thing airborne." She slipped into the ship and took a look at the controls. She gasped in shock. There were more buttons and levers in this thing then she had ever seen before. How the heck had Kirby flown this thing? Well, she thought to herself, at least we know now why he crashed.

"This is gonna be a little tougher than we thought," she called out. The other kids gathered as close as they could to see if there was anything they could do, were just as surprised as Tiff was.

"Well," Adeleine said, trying to be helpful, "green means go, so maybe it's one of the green buttons."

Tiff nodded, and pressed several of the green buttons. Most of them didn't respond, and those that did activated the horn, wipers, and flashed the cockpit lights.

"Try the red ones next," Chuchu recommended. "Red typically means important."

Those too yielded little results. Once again, most did not respond, no matter how hard they were pushed. The one button that did respond turned out to be the landing gear, which caused the ship to collapse under the weight of its passengers.

Once they had thoroughly recovered and set the ship back on its wheels, they set to examining the controls again. It was Tuff who noticed a compartment marked in an unknown language. "What's this?" he asked. Without waiting to be answered, he reached inside and opened the compartment. Inside lay a single button, which the young boy eagerly pushed.

There was a shaking sound followed by a small explosion that shook the whole ship. Smoke started pouring from the front of the ship. Poppy rushed forwards and lifted the panel where the smoke was coming from and waved the offending plumes away. However, what lay inside was not any more hopeful.

"Good news and bad new," he called over to his waiting friends. "I think Tuff did find the ignition. However, it was too much for the engine, which exploded."

The children rushed in a frenzy to the front of the little ship. Sure enough, the small block of glass and metal that used to be the engine lay in a twisted heap, still giving off little plumes of smoke.

"Oh, no!" Ribbon cried in distress. "This was our only way into space, and none of us know how to fix it! What are we going to do now?"

Ado looked closely into the engine block when a little symbol caught her eye. "Hey," she said suddenly, "we might not know how to fix this, but Sword and Blade might." When the others looked at her questioningly, she pointed at the little symbol of a five point star. "This is Star Warrior technology," she explained. "Sword and Blade are Star Warriors, so maybe they'll know how to fix this wreck."

"Good idea," Lalala agreed. "Let's get this to Gus' shop, and we'll find Sword and Blade from there." The others nodded and started moving the busted star ship out of the forest. They were getting closer and closer to finding Kirby and Meta Knight, and they weren't going to give up until they found a way to help their friends.

(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)

Meta Knight worked quietly and quickly. Upon further investigation of the imperfection, he found his previous conclusion to be correct. For some reason, and imperfection in the mixture that made up the wall had made this area softer than the rest. After feeling around, he also found this area to be rather sizable. It would be a bit of a squeeze, but with time and patience, he would be able to make a hole big enough to get through.

He started work that night. As soon as he was sure that Kirby and the babies were asleep, he crept out, keeping in mind to be back long before dawn, so there wouldn't be a repeat of this morning misadventure.

Once he got to the area, he selected a patch of dry grass and twigs, which he bound to a long stick. He then took several rocks which he hoped were flint and started working to make sparks. After a few minutes of work, he had a small torch, which he held against the weak point. After a few moments, the wall was soft with a few areas that had out and out melted. This part he dug out with a small con-caved rock. Once the area had cooled, he applied the torch again and repeated the process.

It was slow going, but it was the best option that they had. After a few hours of work, Meta Knight covered over the small dug out patch with some of the thick foliage that covered everything and headed back to the nest. Much to his relief, none of the little Puffals had awoken yet.

Now relieved that his charges were safe and he had a plan of escape, the knight settled down to sleep. It was the first time since the capture that he had rested well. Dreams of the past still rushed to his mind, but for once they were pleasant dreams, where his long gone friends were present again.

The next few days continued this pattern. The days would be spent in training Kirby and keep a close watch over the babies. Meta Knight was careful not to let any of the younger Puffals know about his escape plan, so they would be spared if the Collector caught wind of what he was doing. However, this was getting more and more difficult to do, as Kirby began to notice his odd sleep habits. This made the pink squire suspicious.

"Medikni 'kay?" he had asked once when he noticed that the elder warrior was beginning to doze off.

Meta Knight caught himself and forced his eyes back open. "I'm fine, Kirby. Don't worry about me. Why don't you practice your range of inhale? See that stone? Try to pull it off the overhang without swallowing it."

"Poyo-kay," the younger Puffal answered. By now, this sort of distraction didn't work quite as well as it used to. Kirby was aware that his mentor was hiding something, and he would find out what, but he also knew that Meta Knight would take it to his grave if he had to. The young Star Warrior would have to be patient and vigilant if he wanted to figure out what was going on.

Things went like this for several days. Meta Knight would work on their escape rout in the night, and Kirby would try to figure out what was going on during the day. Thankfully, the little ones, who were developing rapidly every day. Their exploration did, however, make for an easy distraction if Kirby started discussing his absences too much.

The small group soon fell into such a routine, which was carried out day after day. Finally, Meta Knight was almost finished with the hole. He had broken through the night before, and with a little more work, they'd be able to slip out an escape. He would explain everything to his charges in the morning. After that, they would begin their journey back to Dreamland.

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Sword examined the inside of the small vessel as he explained the situation. "No, I'm afraid this thing's busted. It must have took a lot of damage in the initial crash that brought Kirby here, and then being started without warming up after years of disuse was the last straw. This won't fly again."

The small group had gathered together at Gus' garage, and having explained the situation to the two knaves, were now looking in dismay at the remains of the little ship's engine.

"Is there really nothing we can do?" Adeleine asked in dismay. It seemed as if the final hope of rescuing their friends was vanishing.

"Maybe there is," a voice from the shadows said.

Everyone turned to look where the voice had come from. Much to their surprise, Bandana Dee came out.

"Hey, you work for King Dedede!" Lololo exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

The Waddle Dee raised his arms. "I'm not here for Dedede! I mean, I am, but I didn't reveal myself for him."

"Explain yourself," Tiff said calmly, "but no funny business."

The Waddle Dee walked over to the ruined ship. "The engine is wrecked, but everything else seems to be in working order. This is good, because we need this." He lifted the radio from its cradle. "With this, we can contact the _Rising Arrow_."

Sword snapped his fingers. "That's genius! Why hadn't we thought of that?"

"Uh, excuse me," Chuchu put in. "What rising arrow, and how will this help us find our friends?"

"You see," Sword explained, "Blade, Kirby, and I are not Sir Meta Knight's only students. The rest of our group patrol around Pop Star, making certain that Nightmare isn't causing trouble elsewhere. That group travels in one of the last starship of the Galactic Star Army, the _GSA Rising Arrow_."

"If I can patch this in right," Bandana Dee said as he leaned into the busted up space ship, "we'll have their help in rescuing Meta Knight and Kirby."

"I just have one question about this," Poppy said. "How do you know about them? You work for Dedede, not Meta Knight."

"Oh, that's really simple." The Waddle Dee adjusted his bandana so it wasn't in his eyes. "My brother is a member. There!" He picked up the small radio speaker. "Bandana Dee to _Rising Arrow_. Come in, _Rising Arrow._"

The monitor flickered a little before coming to life. On screen, a Waddle Dee nearly identical to Bandana Dee appeared. The only difference between the two was the fact that the newcomer was wearing a white sailor's cap. "Sailor Dee here. Hey, bro, long time no see!"

"Hi, Sailor," Bandana Dee greeted. "It's nice seeing you too, but I'm afraid we have grim business."

"Oh, my. This sounds serious." The orange creature took off his cap. "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that Lord Meta Knight and Kirby have been abducted," Sword explained. He and Tiff explained everything that they had found out about and why they needed help.

"Oh dear, that is grim news." Sailor Dee put his cap back on. "I'll alert the others and we'll meet up with you soon. You know where to meet us, right?"

"In the landing field," Sword answered. "Hurry, time is of the essence."

"Got it," the Waddle Dee responded. "_Rising Arrow_ out." With that the screen flickered and then turned off.

"Alright, we'll take it from here." Sword and Blade retrieved their weapons and prepared to leave. "You kids head on home."

No way!" Tuff cried. "We're coming too!"

"Yeah," Ribbon said, backing the young boy up. "They're our friends too! We're coming along!" There was a clamor of agreement among the kids.

Sword lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, you can come. But you'll have to listen to rules, and I warn you, the captain has a bit of a temper."

Tiff laughed. "If we can handle old Dedede, I think we'll be fine."

"Come on, then," Sword said. "They'll be here soon, and we'll want to meet them when they land."

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It was the morning that Meta Knight was ready to finally explain the plan to Kirby. He was gathering the small group together when an unwelcome surprise came to them.

The Collector met them inside the enclosure.

Meta Knight glared darkly as he made certain to place himself directly between her and his charges. Kirby peered from behind his mentor with fear, and the babies gathered close in curiosity.

The Collector laughed when she saw their response. "Is this any way to treat your host?" she asked, though the tone in her voice made it clear that she was not surprised in the least.

"What do you want?" Meta Knight said frankly. His voice had lowered to little more than a growl and he spread his wings.

"Well, first of all, you and I are going to have a little chat." She then glared at the children who hung close to their guardian. "Alone."

"They remain with me," the knight responded calmly. "Say what you have to say."

Emboldened by his mentor's composed attitude, Kirby stood up boldly. "Kaabii stay! Not sca'd, poyo!"

Their captor rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice." She pulled out a silver whistle, which she then blew into.

The veteran warrior heard nothing, but waited for some sort of monstrosity to appear. Soon, however, it became clear that the whistle wasn't meant to summon something, but to scare someone away.

The minute she blew the whistle, Kirby clutched his head and the little ones began crying. To them, it was the most horrible sound they had ever heard! In a rush to get away, Kirby ran as fast as he could, grabbing the little brown and white babies and leading the others off.

Meta Knight turned see what was happening, but fell as he felt a dart find its mark in his shoulder. The Collector smirked at him. "High frequency whistle," she explained as he struggled against the drugs which were clouding his senses. "You and I are both too old to hear it, but to them it was one of the most intense experiences they will ever have. Don't worry about them. They'll be fine. Now, on to our business."

She casually walked around and yanked him up by his wing. He winced, but did his best not to cry out. He wouldn't give her that satisfaction.

She clicked her tongue as if she were scolding a naughty child. "You've been a busy boy, haven't you?" She pulled out a syringe filled with a strange liquid. "It was a rather clever scheme at that, too. My sensors almost didn't notice the hole you were making in the wall." She jabbed the syringe into his side and began pulling him away from the nest area.

"You're quite clever. It's almost a shame that I have to do this now." She opened another panel that revealed the door of the enclosure. "But, I did already warn you. Escape attempts are dangerous for your health." With that, she pulled him into the dark corridor as he lost consciousness.

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The landing field wasn't too far. It was a large grassy pasture away from most of the living areas of Cappy Town, nearby Whispy Woods.

Just as Sword had said, it didn't take long for the _Arrow_ to arrive, and it was a sight to behold! It was a long, slender ship, with a look to it that made it clear that this was a ship made for speed.

The ship settled down in field and opened up the hatch. Blade mumbled something to group that sounded as if he was telling them to go aboard the ship. Eagerly, the band walked into an examined the interior.

As they were looking around, a young man with spiky blond hair that was tied back with a headband stepped into the room. "Well, kids," Sword said motioning towards the new comer, "let me introduce you to the captain of the _Rising Arrow_ and the leader of this band when Sir Meta Knight is unavailable, Knuckle Joe."

"Right as always, Sword," the young man said, shaking Sword's hand hard. He then turned to the kids. "You guys must be Kirby's friends. Well, a friend of Kirby's is a friend of mine! Welcome aboard."

"Nice to meet you," Tiff said. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances, though."

Knuckle Joe's face darkened at this comment. "Yeah. Sailor Dee filled us in on all the details. This is serious, but don't worry too much." Here a grin spread across the young warrior's face. "We'll find 'em, and we'll make sure that Collector doesn't take anyone else ever again."

Suddenly, the ship began to shake. "Looks like it's time for takeoff." Knuckle Joe motioned towards the room he had just come out of. "You'd better head in there. There are takeoff seats in there, and you'll meet the rest of the crew."

The group complied and headed to their seats. It was both exciting and nerve wracking, but they were finally on their way. They'd soon rescue their friends.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4: Glimpse of the Past, part 4

_xXSilent DreamerXx: Thanks for the comment! I always like to hear what people think of the story! As for asking these kinds of questions, don't feel bad about it. I think a little too logically myself at times, which is good in this circumstance because it means I have answers. I love answering these kinds of questions, so ask away!_

_The first question needs a bit of a head-canon science lesson. I don't see Puffals as having a human-like digestive track. Instead, when they eat, nearly everything is converted into energy. What waste is produced is usually coughed up in pellets, like owls. This can be done by itself, but with Kirby at least, the pellets are usually spat out with other objects in the gold stars he spits out. As such, accidents aren't as much of a problem as the pellets can be just swept out._

_As for the showering issue, the first chapter did mention that there is a river near the nest. It's not as good as having soap and shampoo, but it can be made do with. I just_ _thought__ bathing scenes would be boring._

_As for the Collector, there is a good reason she reminds you of the Collector from _Guardians of the Galaxy. _She was inspired by two characters. One of them was the Collector from GotG. The other was General Zaroff from one of my favorite short stories, Richard Connell__'s "The Most Dangerous Game." You'll see what she inherited from the general in this chapter._

_I own only the Collector. Everyone else belongs to Nintendo, Hal Laboratories, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc._

Episode Four: Glimpse of the Past, Part four

Kirby had rushed the babies away so quickly that he hadn't had time to really think about what he was doing. All he had known was that whistle made a terrible sound, and that they must get away from it as soon as they could. It wasn't until the small group had made it a good distance off that he thought to check to make sure they were all together.

The little warrior set down the two babies he was carrying and took a headcount. All seven babies were present and accounted for. He gave sigh of relief.

"Poyo, got way," he said as he calmed down. He turned around to address Meta Knight. "Whe' we go, Medikn-" he cut himself off as he realized his mentor was not present.

Once again, Kirby began to panic. Meta Knight was back with that mean whistle lady! The little pink puff began running back to the nest area. "Stay here, poyo!" he called back to the smaller ones. "Be back kwick!"

The infants watched for a moment as he ran off. Suddenly, the yellow baby turned to the others. "Poyo!" he declared. "Poyo poyo poyo! Poyo!" With that he took off after Kirby, and most of the other babies trailed close behind.

Something caught the eye of the little white baby, however. He instead ran off to investigate this new curiosity.

Kirby made it back to the clearing in time to see the panel slide shut, allowing the young Star Warrior just a moment to see his mentor get dragged off by the mean lady. Angrily, he rushed against the doors and began kicking at them in an attempt to break them. However, they were too strong and he only wore himself out.

He turned around and much to his surprise, he found that the babies had followed him there. "Poyo, s'posed to stay!" he scolded. "Cu'ld be hurt!"

"Poyo! Poyo Kaabii poyo!" the little blue one squealed as she explained. The other ones began to try to knock down the wall as Kirby had been a moment ago.

Kirby shook his head in dismay. "No good, poyo," he sighed, half-heartedly kicking at the door again. "Too stwong."

He suddenly noticed the deficiency. There was something wrong with the number of babies. He took a head count. Realization hit him hard. "Whi' Kaabii! Poyo poyo Whi' Kaabii!" With that, he went to find the stray infant.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

It didn't take him too long. The baby had found the hole in the wall that Meta Knight had succeeded in making and had enthusiastically tried to go through it. However, it was still too small for him, and he had gotten himself stuck halfway. "Poyo!" he cried, trying to get someone's attention. "Poyo!"

Kirby was quick in dislodging the little one from his prison. He was about to start explaining how dangerous this was again when he looked closely at the hole.

When he had first seen it, he had assumed that it had been in a rock face or a tree trunk. Now that he had a closer look, he could see that it seemed to be floating in midair. This curiosity prompted the pink Puffal to take a closer look inside it.

It was darker outside. There were some plants to be seen, but they looked to be behind a glass pane. The place also had the look of a metal hallway. The same kind of hallway that the kidnapper had pulled Meta Knight into!

Kirby gave a small but excited dance. So this is what Meta Knight had been up to! He had found a way of escape! They would be free soon!

After this revelation, the fledgling Star Warrior had another, more shocking one. This must be why that mean lady took him away! She knew he had found a route of escape and wanted to stop them. She might even hurt him!

Well, if that was the case, then Kirby would just have to move fast and find them before she could.

He backed up as far as he could and examined the hole and its surroundings. It was obviously too small to get through, but if he could find something to copy, he might be able to enlarge it.

That was when he spotted three coconuts hanging from a tree nearby. Kirby grinned broadly. Those would do quite nicely.

"Poyo, ge'bek!" he called to the littler ones. "Poy-poyo Boom!"

Understanding the meaning of the warning, the babies rushed behind a nearby rock and peered out to see what Kirby was going to do.

He backed up slightly and then began to inhale. The coconuts were high up, so the pull of his inhale would have to be intense. It took a few moments, but sure enough, one by one each of the fruits fell off of the tree and into the young Puffal's awaiting mouth.

Now that he had ammo, he positioned himself in front of the hole. He held the coconuts in his mouth as if forming something, and then released. What flew out was a large golden star with two smaller stars orbiting around it. These had been formed around the fruit that he had inhaled.

Once the stars made contact with the wall, they exploded, blowing small golden shards everywhere. Along with them, the three volatile fruit also blew up on contact.

The force of these two reactions caused the hole in the wall to melt and be torn away very quickly. Within a few minute, there was a hole large enough for them to move easily out of.

Behind him, Kirby could hear the babies cheering excitedly. They thought it had been one of the most impressive things that they had ever seen! The young Puffal beamed with pride, and gestured towards the newly made exit. "C'mon," he said. "Les' go, poyo!"

With that, the small group left and began their search to find where their guardian had been taken.

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Dedede gritted his teeth in frustration. Nothing had been going his way at all! Everyone was still paying attention to the search, and no one other than his Waddle Dees were reporting back to him. It had even been hours since he sent Bandana Dee out after Meta Knight's two servants.

With nothing else to do, the Pengu decided to go out to Cappy Town and see if anything was still running like normal. He went down to the stables where his own personal Grand Wheelie was kept.

When he entered the room, the Wheelie immediately sprang up. "So, you're as eager as I am to get out, huh, Mr. Mufflerkins?" he laughed as the creature raced around the stable. "Well, at least someone else has a sense of normalitude."

He got on top of the Wheelie, which let a groan of protest, and turned to head to the main road. Much to his surprise, however, it appeared that some of Cappy Town was running as normal again.

Dedede chuckled as he spotted the activity. "Well, it seems like these no-count Cappies have finally figured out what's really going on."

He turned to his favorite shop in town, which was the restaurant run by Chef Kawasaki and Nago the Cat. The king then got off of his Wheelie before tying it to a nearby post. "I'll be in a while, so you take your break here." As if in response, the Grand Wheelie sank to the ground, relieved that, at least for the time being, he didn't have to carry the rather heavy Pengu.

The shop had been empty for most of the day, and at this moment it seemed to follow the same pattern. The two owners, however, were right where they normally stood. Kawasaki, who was a mediocre cook but a very friendly person, stood wiping down the counters where people would normally be sitting and eating. Nago, meanwhile, was back in the kitchen, where he was free to work on his culinary masterpieces without the annoying distraction of casual chatter.

As Dedede entered the restaurant, Kawasaki sprang to attention. "Oh, my! Your highness! We weren't expecting you to come in today. Please, take a seat."

The king examined the empty room. "Where is everybody?" he asked curtly. "I thought things were finally getting back to where they should be!"

"Didn't you hear?" Kawasaki said. "We've got a lead on where Kirby and Meta Knight were taken to! Several of Kirby's friends went to Kabu and found out that some space poacher took them up into space! So the kids and those two friends who always follow Meta Knight around called for some help and they went after them. The rest of us are preparing in case they come back and need help."

"Waste of time if you ask me," Nago grumbled from the kitchen. "Either they're gonna have succeeded or they're gonna be dead. It'll either be one or the other, but _no_, we just _have _to prepare several dozen boxed lunches just in case we need to bring an armada up there to retrieve two people!"

"Aw, come on Nago," Kawasaki said in a somewhat pleading voice. "What if they really need it? It's better to be prepared and the need never comes than for the need to come and we have nothing ready. Besides, they're our friends!"

Nago grumbled, but went back to his work in the kitchen.

With that matter settled, Kawasaki turned back to his customer. "So, your highness, what can I get for you?"

Dedede began to peruse the menu when something mentioned earlier stuck him. "Wait a minute, you said those two toadies of Meta Knight's went with those kids, right?"

"That's right," the chef nodded. "They seemed to be in quite the rush."

The Pengu frowned deeply. "Well, that doesn't any sense. Bandana Dee would 'a told me if those two were doing anything funny."

"Oh, I thought you would have known," Kawasaki said, some surprise in his voice. "He went with them when the ship came and picked them up."

Now Dedede was livid. "Why that traitor! I aught 'a have him proselated! When I see him next, he's gonna get it!" With that, the king stood up to storm out.

"Oh, so you don't want to have any lunch, sire," Kawasaki asked, disappointed that the one customer who came in today was about to leave.

Dedede turned around. "Well, if he went with the kids into space, I see no reason why I can't have a good meal first." With that, he sat back down and focused on the menu once more.

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Meta Knight was awakened by the sense of water dripping off of a palm frond onto his face. He forced himself up as his memories of the last few minutes flooded back to him. As he examined his surroundings, an unwelcome voice spoke up.

"So," the Collector grinned as she approached. "You're finally awake."

"I'm surprised you left me alive." He tested out his wings, and was pleased to find that neither of them was broken. "I would have expected that you would be getting rid of my remains by now."

The Collector shook her head. "So uncreative. But I suppose that's you, right straight to the point." She chuckled and adjusted a gun slung over her shoulder.

Meta Knight wanted to find a way of escape, but as none was presenting itself, he decided to keep his captor distracted until he could come up with some sort of plan. "So you don't plan on killing me then? It seems pointless to make empty threats."

"Oh, those threats weren't empty." She casually circled him, like some predator laying claim to a kill. "You will die, but just killing you isn't any fun and is very wasteful. One doesn't come on such a specimen every day, after all. No, you and I are going to play the most dangerous game."

She smirked, awaiting some sort of response. When her prey offered none, she continued. "I'll give you a half-hour head start. In this time, you can do whatever it is you want to do, unarmed of course. After that, I will hunt you and I will kill you. Things are as simple as that." She held up what looked like a timer. "I would suggest you get moving."

Meta Knight lowered his red eyes and spread his wings. Without a word, he took to the air.

The Collector smiled to herself as she prepared for the hunt. This would be a good game. The Star Warrior was a formidable prey, but she had one ace up her sleeve. That serum on his eyesight would wear out before the half-hour was up, and without any mist to replenish it, he would be blind as a bat by the time she was able to locate him.

Elsewhere on the ship, Kirby and the babies were exploring their new surroundings. Each hallway corridor was lined with glass that looked in on areas very similar to the one they had just left. Most of these appeared empty, but occasionally some creature would wander closer to the observation area. These creatures were all non-sapient, so there was no help on those fronts.

They wandered, looking for anything that might give them a hint to where that mean lady had taken Meta Knight. However, evidence was not easy to find, as the ship was dark and winding, with many corridors leading to more and more windows.

Kirby was beginning to lose hope when an open door caught his notice. It had a sign on the door, but the little Star Warrior could not read quite yet, so that did not matter to him. What was hanging on the wall just inside, however, did matter a lot.

Much to their amazement, there inside the room and surrounded by a variety of other weaponry, was Galaxia! Hanging near the sword was also Meta Knight's mask, cape, and armor. The young Puffal rushed into the room with the littler ones trailing behind.

Kirby rushed forwards and quickly inhaled Galaxia. He transformed in a flash of light, and when it was clear to see again, he was wielding Galaxia and wearing a green and yellow cap. "'Ilaxa Kaabii!" he declared triumphantly.

The little ones stared up, amazed by the transformation. Kirby grinned broadly. "Poyo poyo copy!" He pantomimed inhaling. He then motioned to the other weapons. "You twy, poyo."

The babies looked at each other questioningly for a moment. Finally, the little green baby stepped forwards. He examined the rows of weapons until he found one that was to his liking. It was a boomerang with one side that was bladed. He took a few steps back and started to inhale.

However, he was not able to get up enough strength to pull the object into his mouth. This was a shock to Kirby, who had always assumed that his strength was the normal amount. However, the young Puffal shrugged this discrepancy off, and decided to help his younger sibling by placing the boomerang within closer reach.

Now that it was closer to his mouth, the green child easily inhaled it. Like Kirby before him, the little one was briefly enveloped in a flash of light, and when it had passed, he had a bright yellow hat in the shape of a duck with a blade at the top of it. The baby turned to Kirby. "Poyo?" he asked quietly.

"Poyo, Cutta Kaabii!" the young Star Warrior declared.

Excitedly, the little yellow baby jumped up next. He began pointing at a large tire-like object and letting out an excited stream of poyos.

Like before, the little one inhaled the object as soon as it was placed within reach and transformed. This time, he when he was finished transforming, he had a bright red baseball cap which was turned backwards. He then turned to Kirby for an explanation.

The toddler grinned brightly. "Whee' Kaabii!" he explained. It was neat for him to be the teacher for once, and he was thoroughly enjoying this.

One by one, each of the babies selected an object and received their first copy abilities. The white one chose beam, the blue one fighter, the red one hammer, the purple one tornado, and the brown one stone.

Once they all had copied, they were prepared to continue their search. Now, at least, once they found their captor, they could fight back.

Before they left, Kirby decided to do one last thing. He gathered up the remainder of Meta Knight's armor and put it on. He would need to return them to their proper owner as soon as possible. Besides, he had always wanted to try the mask on.

Kirby then motioned to the babies. "C'mon," he called out, pointing to the door with Galaxia. "We he'p Medikni, poyo!" He turned dramatically to walk out the door and promptly walked into the door jamb. Embarrassed but not defeated, he moved the mask up to that he could see, but returned back to their important mission.

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As the kids traveled into the bridge, they were greeted by a young woman. She had long white hair and, like Knuckle Joe, wore a headband wrapped around her head. "'Bout time you got back," she said, affectionately punching Knuckle Joe in the arm. "We were starting to worry we were going to have to pull you out of another duel."

The young man laughed. "Not this time, sis. Though I wouldn't mind a quick break if we met up with Dedede." He turned to the kids. "This is my sister and one of the best pilots this side of Aqua Star, Silica."

Silica laughed at the praise before motioning for the others to follow her. "He's exaggerating, of course. So you're the ones who tipped us off to our little poacher problem, huh?"

"Yes," Tiff responded. "Thanks for coming so quickly. We were starting to worry that we were going to lose their trail for good."

"We still might," Poppy added pessimistically. "Remember those cloaking devices that Kabu mentioned."

A boisterous laugh answered the comment. "Cloaking devices! Hah!" a nearby warrior dressed up in purple armor laughed. "I'll be darned if there's a cloaking device that can fool the _Rising Arrow_'s sensors."

Silica motioned to the newcomer. "This is Mace Knight. She's the mechanic that keeps us airborne, quite the feat with this old a ship."

"Aww, the _Arrow_'s not old," Mace Knight said, her tone almost motherly. "You just need to know where to tweak."

Another knight, this time wearing a skull mask, chuckled as he helped Sailor Dee set up several more seats for their guests. "You'd know about that. You've needed to tweak just about every part on-board."

"All right, you two," Silica put in before Mace Knight could respond. "We don't have time for the sibling rivalry, Ax." She then slid into the pilot's seat as everyone took their seats for takeoff.

"Javelin, Trident," Knuckle Joe called out to the last few members of the crew, "we're looking at what's probably a class-nine living ship, definitely cloaked. Set up the sensors to pick up the traces given off by such devices and make sure we're ready for any surprises set up for us."

Much to the children's surprise, two robots seemed almost to rush out at the pilot's command. One of them, which was purple and floated rather than walked, plugged into a port in the control panel. "Sensors are set, sir."

The other one, which almost wouldn't have seemed to be a robot if it wasn't for the voice, handled the controls at another panel. "Shields are locked and weapons are set. Is there anything else you'd like, sir?"

"Just to get underway, Trident. We set to go?"

"Engines ready," Silica responded. "Takeoff begins now."

There was a smooth but noticeable sensation of rising as they took to the air. The kids, unused to the sensation, gripped on to the seats. Within a few moments, they were outside of Pop Star's atmosphere.

Once they had reached that level, Sailor Dee unbuckled his seat. "It's safe to get up now, if you want," he called over to the others. "If you want, you can see Pop Star outside."

It was amazing to look down upon their own world. It was beautiful, but seemed rather small compared to the vastness surrounding it. "Crikey," Rick muttered as the group looked out on the sight. "And here I was thinking Whispy Woods was huge."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the amazed group. "Sir!" Ax Knight called. "Sensors caught something just beyond Rock Star, and it's big!"

Knuckle Joe went over to the screen and grinned. "Looks like we've got our kidnapper." He turned back to the robots. "Javelin Knight, set a course for Rock Star."

"Immediately, sir," the robot responded before entering something into the computer. With a small lurch, the ship headed to its destination.

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Meta Knight was eager to get as much space between himself and the Collector as possible. A hunt. She intended to hunt him. He shook his head. He saw his chances, and they weren't great. She knew this containment room better than he did, and she was far more armed than he was. He also suspected she had some sort of other handicap on him as well, and that it wouldn't be long before he found out about it.

He began gathering what supplies he could use to defend himself. There wasn't much, only some long sticks and large rocks which stuck out from the ground, but his time in the war against the Nightmare Empire had taught the Star Warrior not to overlook anything that might give an advantage.

He soon learned what other handicap had been placed on him. The serum that his captor had mentioned was beginning to wear off. His vision had already blurred, and soon he wouldn't be able to see a thing.

He would have to fight his best, though. If he was going to have any chance at survival at all, he'd need to use everything at his disposal. Besides, he did have one trick up his sleeve.

While his vision, weak though it was, was still present, he set up several decoys and traps in the trees. She'd be expecting him to keep to the trees as a way of compensating for his blindness, and it would be a good idea to set up for that expectation.

On the other hand, he did have a way of keeping out of sight, instead of going into the trees, he set small clearings with markers that he could feel, where he'd be able to move on the ground from root cluster to root cluster. He would have liked to set up a tunnel system, but there wasn't any time for something like that.

Faster than he would have liked, his time ran out. The click of a hammer some distance away signaled to him that the hunt had begun. Without waiting another moment, he rushed down one of his hiding systems.

The Collector examined the surrounding. The Star Warrior had done well in hiding himself, but without any sight, he'd slip up eventually.

That was when she spotted a dark shape in the bows of a tree. Immediately, she unloaded several rounds into the shape. It fell as soon as it was hit, and revealed itself to be a dummy made out of woven sticks. As it fell, a primitive sling filled with stones was unleashed, and the huntress was forced to dash for cover from the small projectiles.

She smirked. This one had the will and determination to live. Those were the most fun once they were caught.

Meta Knight turned at the sound of one of his traps being sprung. His pursuer wasn't far behind. He resisted the temptation to take to the air. Even though it would expand his speed, it would also make him an easier target. Besides, he would need his wings free if he was going to survive the encounter that was coming up.

The hunt went on this way for much of it. The pattern movement was hidden, but not too well. The Collector assumed that this meant that her prey was getting desperate and sloppy. Because of this assumption, she didn't notice she was being lead right into a clearing.

Once she had arrived at the area, Meta Knight revealed himself. She laughed at this strategy. He was just giving up! She lifted the gun to take a shot.

Much to her surprise, however, his wings lifted and he dashed away from his previous position. Furthermore, he rushed straight at her, and with a quick movement, knocked the gun from her hands, which then skidded back into the foliage.

She smiled and withdrew a dagger. "So, you don't intend to keep running? Good." With that, she charged him, using a pattern of movement so as to confuse him from the sound.

However, Meta Knight was no stranger to fighting blind. Calmly, he held out his wings, which were sensitive enough to catch the changes in the movements of his opponents. Using this primitive sort of echolocation, he was able to predict the movements and respond accordingly.

The duel went on for a time without either gaining the upper hand. The Collector was better armed and had the advantage of clear sight, but Meta Knight was the better fighter and had trained himself to be able to hold his own without being able to see. As such, the fight went on for a while without a change in the footing.

Suddenly, the Collector found her opportunity. The fight had gone closer to the foliage, and the huntress caught sight of her gun. Taking the opportunity, she snatched it back up. "I'm ending this now!" she declared before firing at him.

Meta Knight was in a hard position. Unarmored and exposed, he wouldn't last long taking the shot. However, he had not preformed the only move that could save his life in so long. Inwardly, he braced himself for what he was about to do.

He began to inhale the large shot. It felt like he was swallowing molten lead, but as this was the only option, he continued until he was certain that he had caught the projectile. Once he was certain, he spat it out.

This startled the Collector. He had never used inhale in any other circumstance, and she had assumed that it wasn't one of his skills. However, the shock wore off fast, and she saw her opportunity.

He was resting on the ground, recovering from the shock. He was reminded why he hadn't inhaled in years, as the strain of it made it feel as if his body were on fire. As he tried to push himself up, his opponent threw a net, tangling him in the fibers.

She walked calmly over to her trapped prey. She casually stepped down on his wing. A snap and a cry of pain from the Star Warrior signaled that she had succeeded at crippling him farther. She raised the knife for the kill. "You were a harder kill than I expected," she sneered to him, "but I told you that you were going to die."

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As the _Arrow _sped to their destination, Ribbon couldn't help but feel worried. They had found good aid, but what if they were too late? What if the Collector had already hurt, or killed Kirby and Meta Knight? Or what if, despite their best intentions, they weren't able to help their friends? She tried to banish these worries from her mind, but she couldn't shake that awful feeling.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The fairy was shaken from her thoughts by the question. She turned and realized that Mace Knight was sitting next to her. "You seem nervous. Want to talk about it?"

She shrugged. "I suppose I'm afraid we're going to be too late and that something…bad will have already happened." She shuddered at the thoughts of what might be happening that ran through her mind.

Mace Knight patted her shoulder. "Don't sweat it. We'll all worried, but I'm sure nothing bad is going down. From what I've heard, Kirby's one tough little guy, and I know Meta Knight's no pushover."

Ribbon smiled at the comforting words. She then sat up. "How do you know Meta Knight? I mean, no one on Dreamland knows much about him, except maybe Kirby. How did you guys meet him?"

Mace Knight leaned back in her seat. "That was quite a while," she said, a tone of wistfulness in her voice. "I guess it started back when we were kids. Sword, Blade, Ax, and I had always been together, and we were in pretty bad straits back then. We were orphans and street thieves. One day, Sir Meta Knight found us. Straightened us out and gave us a second chance at life. It was the first time we really met anyone who cared what was going to happen to us.

"Silica and Knuckle Joe, on the other hand, were a different story. They had always known him because their parents were two of his partners in the Star Warriors."

Ribbon cocked her head questioningly. "Their parents were Star Warriors?" she said inquisitively.

The older girl laughed. "Oh, yeah. That's how most Star Warriors come to be. Some of us were brought in when we were older, but most of the time, if you were a Star Warrior, it was because you came from a long line of Star Warriors.

"Silica and Knuckle Joe's folks were two of the most famous Star Warriors of their time. Sir Jecra the Fierce and Lady Garlude the Skillful were half of what was known as the Four Forces. Sir Meta Knight, known as the Warrior of the Wind, and another warrior known as Sir Daroach the Shrewd made up the other half. They were the best team of their generation, and even Nightmare himself got nervous when he learned he was going to have to deal with them!"

Ribbon waited for her to continue, but when Mace Knight did not, the fairy asked, "Then what happened?"

Mace Knight sighed. "Same thing that happens when anyone is exceptional. Others got envious. In particular, there was an ally of the Star Warriors known as Yamikage. He had observed the Star Warriors for years, and had helped them many times against the forces of Nightmare. No one noticed that he was growing resentful of the Four Forces. So the day he betrayed them came as a shock."

"It was he who led the four into a trap. After that, Nightmare and his monsters ambushed them. Nightmare himself killed Jecra and Garlude. Daroach was killed by the monsters quickly, and his body was never found, though his smashed mask was. For the longest time, we thought Meta Knight was dead, too. It was nearly eighteen months later that he escaped and we learned what had happened."

"What happened?" Ribbon asked, leaning forwards with interest.

Mace Knight shrugged. "He was kidnapped and experimented on. That much we know. Beyond that, he wouldn't talk about it. He only told his superior, Sir Arthur, and his father what happened, and they never mentioned what it was. The only clear thing was that it changed him."

"That was also when-" she started, but was cut off by a call out from Silica.

"Guys!" the pilot called back to her passengers. "We've found it!"

The others rushed forwards and stared at the image on the monitor. Sure enough, through the filter that caused the cloaking device to be worthless, there was a huge ship, moving slowly past the nearby planet. On the side was the symbol of the Collector.

Knuckle Joe turned to the others. "Alright, everyone," he called out. "We've made it but we're not in the clear yet. Everyone strap in and get ready to fight." He took his seat and grinned widely. "We're getting out friends back."

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Kirby raced forwards, looking for anything that might lead to their missing friend. He searched thoroughly, but it seemed that this ship just had miles and miles of observing areas, and nothing that might help in the young ones' search. However, the young Puffals were nothing if not persistent. They'd continue to search if it took them forever!

Thankfully, it did not take them forever. They soon came upon another door, which Kirby attempted to open. He pulled on it as hard as he could, but it refused to budge. That was when he got an idea.

"Cutta Kaabii t'y," he said, motioning towards the door.

The baby looked up questioningly, so Kirby pantomimed striking the control panel by the door with a blade. Realization and delight filled in the little one eyes once he figured out what he was being told. He reach up and plucked the large blade off the top of his cap and struck the control panel with it. Much to the young Puffals' delight, the panel crackled for a moment before the door slid open.

Inside was a room full of various flashing buttons and levers. The sight was amazing to the young ones, who eagerly rushed to find out what they did.

Kirby himself went to what seemed to be the largest of the control panels and tried to find a button that would help them find their guardian. Nothing seemed to happen within the room, but unknown to the little ones, chaos was reigning in nearly every other part of the ship. Doors opened and closed at random, lights flickered, "rain" was turned on and off repeatedly. All this, however, was too far away for its instigators to have any idea what was going on.

Finally, by complete accident, they found what they were looking for. The little purple baby, enjoying his tornado ability a little too much, accidentally threw the brown one into Kirby, who was pushed forwards and slid off of the seat he had been perched on. Trying to catch himself, he caught a hold of a switch that had been camouflaged into the panel, which opened up the cover to a window and revealed a whole new set of controls.

The babies then rushed forwards to look out the window, and then gave a cry of horror at what they saw. Kirby pulled himself up and gasped at the sight. Within, they saw the mean whistle lady, and she was about to hurt Meta Knight!

The squire acted quickly. Finding a joystick on the new control panel, he tested it out to see if it would help. In response, a large mechanical arm within the hunting enclosure revealed itself, its movements corresponding to the controls of the joystick. Kirby quickly took advantage of this, knocking the mean lady aside with the arm before hooking the net the older Puffal was still tangled in and pulling him up to the window.

Meta Knight had felt the cold steel against his skin and was preparing for death when the unexpected happened. With a grunt, he had been released from the Collector's grasp and was a moment later hauled into the air. He couldn't see what was going on, but had a good idea what had happened when he was greeted by an excited chorus of "Hi!"

The Collector scowled. She wasn't about to be robbed of her prey by a group of meddling babies. She turned to a panel on the side of the wall, where the wires connecting to all the machinery was housed. With a quick tug, the wire keeping the arm up was pulled out.

Joyful reunion turned to dismay when the arm, which Kirby had been attempting to use to pull Meta Knight into the control room collapsed. However, the little ones reacted quickly, each using their abilities to smash open the window. Kirby was the first to succeed, and with a cry he leaped into the hunting room wielding Galaxia. The others followed closely behind.

The children had reached where Meta Knight had fallen before the Collector did. After instructing the little ones to begin untangling their guardian, Kirby took off the mask and cape and turned to face the foe.

The kidnapper smirked at him. "Bold little troublemaker, aren't you. Well, I know how to deal with you." She revealed the whistle, and prepared to blow it like last time.

However, the babies reacted faster. The blue baby rushed up and knocked the whistle away with a Vulcan Punch. It then flew over to the brown baby, who took his stone form and crushed it flat.

Now with that hindrance out of the way, Kirby rushed forwards with Galaxia. The Collector was fast enough to respond with a blade of her own, and the two dueled as the babies finally succeeded at untangling and waking up Meta Knight.

Kirby was good with Galaxia, but ultimately was not skilled enough in swordplay to defeat his foe. She disarmed him, and the famed blade flew into the foliage. The Star Warrior attempted to follow his weapon, but was struck from behind. The Collector went up and place a foot on the pink Puffal's back.

Seeing their elder brother in trouble, the babies tried to rush their opponent from behind. The Collector, however, was ready for them this time, and responded by whipping out a net which caught the infants in one fell swoop. An electrified current then ran through it, causing the little ones to drop their abilities.

The Collector was now fuming. "I've had it up to here with you troublemakers!" She yanked Kirby up, and the young Puffal gave a cry of pain and shock. "I'm going to kill the lot of you, and I'm starting with you!"

Before she could do anything, though, a rush of blue rammed into her, forcing her to drop the young one. There stood Meta Knight, once again wearing his cape and mask. "Your fight is with me," he said, his voice dangerously quiet.

She gave a cruel laugh. "You couldn't face me before. All you have now is piece of metal and a scrap of cloth. How are you going to face me unarmed and helpless?"

"I may be unarmed, but do not think I am helpless." With that, he pulled his cape around himself and Kirby and the duo vanished.

They reappeared not far away, where the unconscious infants still lay. Setting Kirby down, the elder warrior tore the net off of the little ones. "Get them away from here," he instructed. "I'll take care of her."

Kirby nodded and helped the little ones to their feet. "C'mon," he said gently but urgently as they began to wake up. "Gotta run, poyo!"

Once Meta Knight was certain that Kirby and the babies were a good distance off, he turned to his opponent. He now had the advantage that he could see again as well as the short distance teleportation that the Dimensional Cape gave him, but he would need to retrieve Galaxia if he hoped to finish this fight.

Kirby was looking for a safe place to put the babies so that he could go back and help when a loud whirring started up. He looked up for a moment, before herding the babies away from the wall. He was just in time, as boarding tunnel soon broke through the metal.

The young Star Warrior placed himself between the strange tunnel and the babies in case whatever exited was dangerous. However, much to his delight, he knew the people who came out!

"Poyo, fw'ends!" he called out happily as the small party of warriors came out.

Hearing his cry, the kids rushed out. Tiff reached him first, and pulled the little Puffal into what would have been a bone crushing hug, if he had had any bones. "Kirby!" she cried. "Oh, you're alright! We were so worried!"

Soon after, the others came out and eagerly greeted the little Puffal. Kirby, noticing that he was the only Puffal there, motioned for the babies to come out. "Safe!" he called. "They the goo' guys!"

The babies, who had been somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden crowd, crept out timidly. The little yellow one, boldest as usual, ran up first. "Poyo, poyo!" he declared, eager to make it known that he was not afraid.

Silica couldn't help but laugh at the cute little creature. "Where did these little guys come from?"

"Up in nes'," Kirby explained. "Medikni an-" Remembrance hit the youngster like a ton of bricks. In all the excitement of the reunion, he had forgotten about Meta Knight, who was still in danger.

His tone became frantic after this. "Medikni poyo twu'ble! Poyo bad lady poyo fight! Poyo kill Kaabii! Poyo Medikni stop poyo! Poyo still fight! Poyo need help!"

Despite the rather garbled nature of the delivery, the message came through loud and clear. Knuckle Joe turned to the makeshift team. "Kids, you get the babies secure on the _Arrow_. Make sure nothing comes in after them. Kirby, I want you to lead the rest of us to where Sir Meta Knight is."

"Poyo!" Kirby declared as he threw a salute.

The fight had not gone well for the Collector. Now that Meta Knight was no longer handicapped by his blindness, the knight was a much more formidable opponent. However, she was able to keep her ground as long as he didn't reach that sword of his.

She had finally succeeded in getting into a favorable position, but she would have to move quickly. He was searching through the thick vegetation for his weapon, giving her a single shot with the poison darts. However, before she could use it, a strong wind the dart gun from her wrist. She turned in anger to realize that the knight's squire had returned and had inhaled to disarm her. Much to her surprise, he was also not alone.

She tried to flee, but by then Meta Knight had retrieved his sword. "Yield," he said in a low voice. "You are beaten. Give in now and face justice for what you have done."

The poacher glanced from the warrior to the collection of his students, before a wicked grin alighted on her features. "I might be defeated, but I'm not going out alone." She swiftly to a remote from her belt and pushed the button on it. Red lights began flashing and a siren's blare cut through the air. "That would be the self-destruct mechanism. You now have two choices, escape and live, or try to take me and die." With that she darted off.

The group of young warriors started to follow, but Meta Knight stopped them. "No," he called out, "there's no time. We have to get out of here!"

The young one nodded. "The _Arrow_'s just out this hallway," Silica shouted so she could be heard above the siren. "The others are already there! Let's hurry!" The small group rushed to the ship and were quick to leave. They made it just in time, as the Collector's exhibit ship imploded nearly as soon as they had left.

The Collector scowled at the sight of the destruction. That had been one of her best displays, and it had been ruined because those creatures. She hadn't liked to run without her trophy, but as the adage goes, "the fox that fights and runs away lives to fight another day." And fight another day she would. She would have to wait before she could strike again, but one day, she'd make room in her trophies for the bodies of the blue and pink warriors.

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It was night when the group had made it back to Dreamland. Bandana Dee, wanting to get in quietly, was doing his best to avoid the throne room and a certain temperamental ruler. As he walked quietly, he tried to think of how to break the news of the return to Dedede, who would undoubtedly be upset with the new additions.

He froze when the light turned on all of a sudden. "They're ya are, ya traitor!" Dedede cried out. He was clearly upset. "I send ya on one simple mission, and what do ya do? You completely forget what you're supposed to do and go off on a glorified road trip!"

"But, sire," the little creature tried to call out. "We found-"

"And without telling me anything about it!" the Pengu continued without stopping. "Of all the crazy things that ya could have done, you have to go running into space with a bunch a' kids, traipsing about looking in places where imaginary kidnappers are hiding Kirby and Meta Knight. I would be upset even if ya did find those good-for-nothings!"

"But, sire, we did find them!" Bandana Dee tried to interject again. "There's also something I really need to tell you!"

Dedede ignored him again, instead choosing to continue to rant as he headed towards the kitchen. "And here I am, without an idea what's going on! What am I supposed ta-" He cut himself off when he saw what was in the kitchen.

There was something green leaning into the refrigerator. Hearing the sounds of the newcomers, it turned around, and much to Dedede's horror, revealed itself to be a green Kirby.

Dedede backed up in shock. He had never seen a green Kirby before. "Come on, get a hold of yourself," he murmured to himself. "I'm sure all this stress has just got you seein' things."

"Actually, sire," Bandana Dee tried to say again, "that's what I need to tell you about."

Before either could speak again, the sound of a motor cut through the silence. In a moment, Mr. Mufflerkins raced into the room, desperately trying to shake a wildly giggling passenger. Once the grand Wheelie succeeded in that, the rider was revealed to be a yellow Kirby!

Dedede rushed back. He wouldn't take this invasion of the Kirbies lying down. He went to retrieve his hammer, but much to his shock, hanging on to the handle was a red Kirby, who was sucking on his hand.

The Pengu tried to shake the little Kirby off, but when it became clear that that wasn't happening, he dropped the hammer and tried to back off.

"Poyo!" a loud voice cried from behind as Dedede tried to sneak off. He turned around and found to his horror that it was another Kirby, this time white!

"Run!" he yelled out as loudly as he could. "We're being invaded! Everyone for himself!" As the king turned a corner in his panic, he ran into another creature, this time the original pink!

Dedede backed up. He was surrounded by multicolor balls of cuteness! He gasped, wishing this was just a bad dream. "Who-what are you?" he questioned the surrounding Puffals.

The answer was unanimous. "Kaabii!"

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" The king's cry was heard throughout Dreamland.

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Chaos reigned in the dark castle that sat in the center of the Nightmare Empire. Ever since the defeat of the creature whose name the empire bore, the place had been falling to pieces. This was due, in no small part, to the utter war that was started over who would be the next boss.

The fighting among the lieutenants of Nightmare had continued even to this time, so none of the creatures noticed when a dark shadow crept into the castle. It did, however, cease when it owner revealed himself.

"Mutiny!" Nightmare cried in rage, scattering the creatures of darkness in his anger. "Treachery! You mean to dethrone me! I, who created half of you, and without whom the other half would have no power!" In a rush of madness, he destroyed the creatures who had tried to take his throne. He had no need of them. He would make more.

When he had finished, a single creature was left inside the dark throne room. "Ah, Lord Nightmare, welcome back." It was a creature who, from the waste up appeared to be a purple skinned human. However, he had no lower body to speak of, only a set of feet that resembled those of the many other creatures of the area.

"Honest John," Nightmare said, his voice taking on a much calmer tone. "Your assistance in gaining access through the dissonance was greatly appreciated. It is good to know that at least you still know who is master around here."

The creature, Honest John, bowed low. "Is there anything you would have me do?"

Nightmare thought for a moment. "Contact my spy in that fool's court. I am not yet strong enough to take on those warriors myself, but I have orders for him to fulfill in that wreck of a palace."

"As you command, sire." With that, the crony turned around to fulfill his master's wishes.

Nightmare grinned an evil grin as his chess board materialized. Soon the inhabitants of that puny world would know his wrath!

_Author's Note: So, the Glimpse of the Past arc is over, but Dreamland Chronicles has only started! I want to continue this story in an episodic form, with most of the chapters being pretty self contained. These next couple of chapters are going to be a bit more humor oriented than these last ones have been, but there is plenty of action to come. Stay tuned for the next chapter, "What's in a Name?"__  
><em>


	5. Chapter 5: What's in a Name? Part One

_xXSilent DreamerXx: I know, right! Mr. Mufflerkins is actually the wheelie that Dedede rides in Kirby Air Ride. I thought that it was funny that the heaviest character is the only one with a living mount, so I decided to bring him into this story. He's very loyal to his master, but he doesn't enjoy the rides they go on._

_On your guesses, you're right! General Zaroff's part in the story was his attempt to hunt the hero, Rainsford (MK took his role). I won't give the ending away, but it was great!_

_It's rather interesting to hear that "Galaxia" is the Spanish word for "galaxy." I agree it's not very creative, but it is rather appropriate, at least for me, since I like to think that Meta Knight has his Spanish accent from the dub. (Ducks as rocks and tomatoes are flung at me.) Don't get me wrong, his Japanese voice is awesome, too, I just personally like accents. I mostly don't write in accents, though, so you can read the voices with whichever one you like best._

_Thanks for the comments on my head-canon! I like to think pretty thoroughly about how my characters function. (I have a nerdy side too!) Yes, by my thoughts, it would be difficult for a Puffal to get truly obese. They also are capable of going without food for a long while, though it would be highly unpleasant. Kirby is an extreme on both ends, being able to eat more than a regular Puffal and being able to go longer without. I have a reason for this, but I can't tell it right now, because that would be a spoiler for later in the story. Just keep reading if you want to find out!_

_Thanks again for catching those spelling errors. Spelling is not really one of my strengths. Oh, well. At least you know I'm not a robot._

_I love hearing these comments, so keep them coming! Hope you enjoy our next episode!_

_Kirby and Friends are owned by Hal Laboratories, Nintendo, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc. I own nothing._

Episode Five: What's in a Name? Part One

"Please hold still," Dr. Yabui said as he finished wrapping bandages around the splint on Meta Knight's broken wing. They, along with Sir Ebrum, Lady Like, and the little blue, brown, and purple babies were sitting in the Ebrum's living room.

"You were lucky this was a clean break," the doctor continued. "If it had been splintered, I might not have been able to set it. As it is, you'll need to be resting that wing, and flying will be out of the question for a least a few weeks."

"I thank you for your swift assistance," the knight said as he positioned his wing in a way that was both safe and somewhat comfortable.

The doctor smiled as he prepared to leave. "Glad I could help. You sure you don't have any other injuries in need of attention?"

"Nothing that won't heal on its own, thank you."

"Well, then, I bid you good night." He turned to the two hosts. "Good night to you too, Sir Ebrum. Lady Like." With that, he turned to go back to his office.

"Thank you for keeping the infants with you for now," Meta Knight said. "I hope they won't be any trouble."

Upon their arrival in Dreamland, most of the littler ones had run off with the children for a tour of the palace while Meta Knight thanked his students for their aid. The three here had fallen asleep on the trip home.

"Oh, they'll be no trouble at all," Sir Ebrum assured. "It'll be nice for Tiff and Tuff to have some other children around."

"Besides," his wife added, "they're such darling little things. It's horrible the think of what that wretched woman had in store for you. To be held in a cage your whole life!"

Meta Knight nodded. "Yes, but it is thanks to the quick thinking of the children that we are free now, even though the fiend escaped."

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open and then shut. King Dedede rushed into the room, panic in his voice. "Meta Knight! Sir Ebrum! Lady Like! Good, you're all in here!" He began flailing his arms around furiously. "It horrible! It's terrible! It's a de-de-disaster! We've been invaded! He's splitting into an army!" He was about to continue when he saw the three babies laying asleep on the couch. "There's more of them in here!"

Meta Knight raised his hand before the Pengu could shout any more. "Calm yourself, your highness. We can't understand you while you are yelling like that. Now, what is your problem?"

"Can't you look and see what the problem is!" Dedede cried, pointing an accusatory wing at the sleeping infants. "The problem is that Kirby's been splitting into new puffballs! Pretty soon we're going to be overrun by little eating machines! We gotta work to stop this invasion before it happens!"

The three mature adults in the room did the best they could to keep from laughing out loud. Meta Knight shook his head, his eyes pink with amusement. "No, sire, Kirby is not splitting. These are infants who were orphaned by the woman who kidnapped Kirby and me. As they have nowhere to go, they were brought back here with us. The Ebrums have been kind enough to take them in for the time being."

Dedede frowned. He wasn't convinced that his theory was incorrect. "Well, even if they aren't an invasion, why do they have to stay here? Why can't they go live with Kirby, outside of the palace?"

"Actually, about that," Meta Knight started. He was interrupted by the sound of the door being opened.

"And this is our house," Tiff said, leading the group of Puffalings inside. "This is where you'll be staying for a while."

"Yeah!" Tuff cried out in delight. "You can come with me, Kirby! It'll be just like having a little brother!"

"Poyo!" Kirby responded happily.

Realization hit Dedede as Meta Knight finished explaining. "You see, as Kirby's home was destroyed in the kidnapping, he will be staying in the palace as well."

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Dedede cried again, this time frightening the babies into howling as well.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

"Kirby, think fast!" The little pink puff looked up from his butterfly chasing in time to see a ball flying his way. Moving quickly, he jumped up, grabbing on to it as tight as his little arms could grasp.

"Nice job!" Lololo called out as he, Lalala, Tuff, and Poppy ran up. The babies were also with them, tagging close behind. "I think that's the first time you actually caught it instead of being knocked over."

Tiff, who had been sitting nearby reading a book, shook her head. Whenever the boys played ball, it always ended badly for Kirby. If it wasn't something flying at him, it was being mistaken for the ball and getting kicked. Furthermore, with the new babies hanging around, it was certain that they would inherit some of their elder brother's bad luck.

"Hey, guys, be careful," she called out in a scolding manner. "You could hurt one of them or break something if you're not paying attention!"

"Aw, lighten up, sis," Tuff said casually as he took the ball from Kirby. "Nothing bad happened. Besides, it's fun. You should try fun some time!"

Tiff sighed and went back to her book. Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered.

"Alright," Tuff said as he prepared to kick again. "This one's going far. Kirby, you go out right. Poppy, go center." He froze a moment. "Hey, Kirby, what's the little guys' names again?"

The young Star Warrior grinned brightly. "Kaabii!"

"No, I mean the others," the other boy explained, a look of exasperation on his face.

Kirby happily walked to each of his siblings as he clarified. "Ye'lo Kaabii, Bwu Kaabii, Wed Kaabii, Gwe' Kaabii, Whi' Kaabii, Pu'pl Kaabii, an' Bwown Kaabii!"

"But they can't all be named Kirby," Lalala said, trying to get the pink Puffal to understand. "Kirby's your name, so they need names of their own."

Kirby thought for a moment. After a while, he shrugged. Meta Knight had been rather distracted by his attempts at escape while they had been imprisoned, so he had never brought it up. Furthermore, Kirby had been under the assumption that all who looked the same as him were called Kirby, so the idea of giving them different names had never come up.

The babies themselves, however, were growing antsy. Right now, they didn't care what they were called. They just wanted the game to continue.

The little red one in particular was getting frustrated. He had had enough of conversation. "Poyo!" he cried out as grabbed the ball away from Tuff. He then kicked it himself, causing it to sail off into the distance.

For a kick from such a small creature, the ball flew pretty far. It landed in a tree a distance off…and hit something, causing a puff of green feathers to appear from the shocked victim.

Tiff quickly stuffed her book in her bag to do damage control. "See what I mean?" she yelled quickly before running off.

"What did I do?" Tuff asked defensively before he and the others took off after her.

When they reached the tree, they could see a small bird setting himself to right from being knocked over by the ball. "Sir," Tiff called out in an apologetic voice, "I'm sorry if our ball hit you. Do you mind giving it back?"

The bird looked out and smiled pleasantly. "Certainly, you can have it back. Accidents happen, so don't worry about it." With that he rolled the ball out to the children and flew down to join them. "My name's Pitch, by the way. How do you do?" He held out his wing to shake.

"I'm Tiff, and very well, thank you." Tiff took his wing. "This is my brother, Tuff, and our friends Lololo, Lalala, Poppy, and Kirby, with his siblings."

The bird raised an eyebrow. "Kirby? Well, if you aren't the very guy I was looking for!" Pitch hopped over to the young Puffal. "I'm looking to visit with my Uncle Tokkori, and I'm having a hard time finding his tree. I heard you were a neighbor of his. Would you mind it terribly if you could tell me where to go?"

"Tokkori's your uncle?" Tuff asked, a tone of disbelief in his voice. It was hard to believe that this very well-mannered young bird could be related to someone like the cantankerous Tokkori.

"Oh, yes," the green bird responded. "He's my Mum's brother. Mum thought it'd be a good idea for me to see more of the world, so I'm going to live with him for a little while. Would you mind showing me where to go?"

"Sure," Lalala said. "You'll need to come to the palace with us."

"The palace!" Pitch cried out in surprise. "I didn't know that Uncle Tokkori was that important!"

Poppy laughed. "He's not. He's just staying in an elm outside the castle walls until he can find another tree." The kids explained to the newcomer what had happened and why there would be new living arrangements.

"Oh, dear," Pitch said as soon as they had finished their story. "Well, I'm glad to see that everyone's all right. Just let me grab my luggage and we'll be on our way."

However, when they looked up, they realized that the babies, getting bored with the story, had begun to go through Pitch's belongings.

"No, stop!" Kirby cried as the older children tried to move the babies back. "Not yows!"

It was a bit of a struggle, but they finally were able to get all of the items back. Kirby frowned, trying to seem firm but make it clear this was for their own good. "Say sowwy!" he said sternly.

"Poyo," almost all of the babies said, except for the brown one, who shrugged apologetically.

Pitch laughed. "Not to worry. Little ones get curious easily, and there really is no harm done." He patted the brown baby on the head. "Not much of a talker, are you? I used to be that way myself. Used to be called 'Silent Sam'. Well, there's no shame in being a Silent Sam."

Kirby's eyes lighted in delight as he realized what had just been said. He excitedly picked the baby up. "Name Saami!" he declared excitedly to Pitch.

"Excuse me?" Pitch said, looking genuinely confused.

"Well," Tiff explained, translating for the excited Puffal, "the babies actually don't have names yet. What Kirby's trying to say is that you gave him an idea for this one's name: Sammy."

"Well, I'm glad to be of service," the young bird said, bowing politely to the Puffals. "Now, shall we be on to the palace?"

"Of course," Tiff responded. She motioned for the others to follow her. "It's this way. Let's hurry."

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Dedede was in a foul mood. This new explanation on the origins of the babies hadn't pleased him one bit. Even if it did mean that they weren't being invaded (which he wasn't completely convinced), it did mean that people took little stock in what he thought! After all he'd done for those ingrates, they don't even bother asking if he was OK with not only those littler Kirbies, but _the_ Kirby himself, moving into the palace! And what had been their excuse?

"They are children, sire. They cannot be expected to fend for themselves."

The Pengu gritted his teeth. When Meta Knight had said it, Dedede had been unable to come back with any retort. So for the last hour or so, he had been going over in his mind everything he wished he had thought of.

That's when he heard a commotion going on in the courtyard. He got up and looked out the throne room window. It was those rotten kids again, and this time they were showing another newcomer around!

He stomped out of the throne room to go do something about it. At this rate, all of Cappy Town would be moving in if he didn't do anything! Meta Knight might be able to bring in more strangers because "they're children," but he'd be darned if he was going to allow everyone to just invite people in!

"…and this is the courtyard," Lololo finished as they passed into the palace walls. "Tokkori's tree is on the side of the walls. I don't think he'll be here right now, so now might be a good time for a tour of the palace."

Pitch settled down from his flight. "Thank you so much for showing me around. Truth be told, I was a little nervous in coming up here. Cappy Town is so much larger than Grape Gardens. I'm so glad to find so many kind people here."

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" a loud voiced yelled at the kids. It was Dedede, who was clearly upset.

Kirby, however, seemed to ignore the king's foul mood and greeted him cheerfully. "Poyo! Dededededede!" he happily chattered. "Me' Pitch! Tok'i 'is nuncle, poyo, so 'e com'n ta s'ay!"

Dedede turned angrily at him. "I've told you a thousand times, Pinky! I can't understand that strange language you insist on using, and the name is De-de-de! Three de's, got it?!"

Kirby grinned brightly. "Go't!"

Dedede found to his dismay that as he had been yelling at Kirby, the babies had clustered around him curiously, and most were now clamoring a rather loud series of "hi" and "poyo." The only exception was Sammy, who pulled on the Pengu's robe to get his attention. This reminded him of his original intentions.

"Who the heck to do you think you are, bringing strangers in here?" Dedede snapped. "This is my castle, and I'll say who can and can't stay! This isn't a hotel after all!"

Tiff, who typically took umbrage with Dedede's outbursts, responded in kind. "This is Pitch, and he's coming to stay with Tokkori. He's just going to be staying a while, and he's not even in the palace, so I don't see why this bothers you so much. Besides, _you're_ one to talk about bringing strangers in the palace."

"And what do you mean by that?" Dedede scowled. He and the young Ebrum girl never really saw eye to eye, so arguments escalated easily.

"You know what I mean," Tiff said, before turning to leave. "C'mon, Pitch. I'll show you where Tokkori's tree is." With that, the other kids went to follow her.

"Bye, Dedededededededede," Kirby called back happily.

Dedede scowled. Now, not only had Meta Knight completely ignored his opinion in bringing the baby Kirbies in, now he had lost another argument with a pre-teen! He needed a distraction for the moment. Finding a Waddle Dee, he called out to him. "Hey, you! Find Marx and send him to the throne room." The creature nodded and headed off to do as he was told.

The Pengu sighed. At the very least, Marx had some way of keeping Dedede's mind off of his issues and coming up with good solutions.

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"I apologize if I got you in trouble with that rather portly fellow back there," Pitch said quietly after they had gotten a distance off.

"Don't worry about it," Tuff responded, slapping the bird on the back in a friendly manner. "Tiff and Dedede are always arguing about something or other. If it wasn't you, it'd be Kirby, or the weather, or simply that the other exists."

"He's just so conceited! It makes my blood boil." Tiff crossed her arms. "I don't see how someone like Dedede could've become the king!"

"Well, I had better get settled in." Pitch once again extended his wing. "Thank you for bringing me here, and I hope to be seeing you again soon."

"Of course, and welcome to Cappy Town." Tiff settled down and shook his wing again.

"And good luck with finding names for the little ones!" Once Pitch had said his goodbyes, he flew into the large elm tree they had approached.

Lololo chuckled. "I wish him luck. He's gonna need it, staying with Tokkori."

"Hey guys!" Everyone turned around to see Ado running up to them. She was eagerly waving her arms in the air. "I have major news!"

"Ado!" Lalala greeted. "What are you so excited about?"

The girl soon joined them and after taking a moment to recollect herself, she continued. "Adeleine and I were working with Mr. Curio to restore and copy several of the ancient wall paintings found in the dig site," she explained. "While we were working on the paintings, there was a small avalanche on the far side of the dig. We went back to see what damage had been done, but we weren't too worried because not much had been found back there before. Boy, were we shocked by what we found!"

"Wa't 'as it?" Kirby asked, his curiosity piqued.

"We think it's a ship," the artist answered, "but there's more. We aren't certain, but we think there's a Star Warrior emblem on the side!"

The reaction of surprise was unanimous. The Star Warriors were a mysterious group, with all that was known about them to most people was that both Kirby and Meta Knight were members. The unearthing of a Star Warrior ship was a major event. Upon hearing this news, the children ran of eager to see what the mysterious vessel held.

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The creak of a door signaled to Dedede that Marx had arrived. He was a small, ball-shaped creature, who, other than his eyes and lack of arms, didn't look all too different from the Puffals. He took his jester's hat off (a rather impressive feat, considering his lack of arms) and bowed to the Pengu. "You called for me, sire?"

"Yeah, I need your help," Dedede responded.

"As you know, I am always available and at your disposal." The jester straightened up from his bow and placed his hat back on his head and began bouncing on a ball he had brought in. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"I need ya to do that thing ya did to help me again." Dedede leaned back in his throne. "The one where ya helped me to relax and figure out a solution to what's going on."

"I see," Marx said, his voice going soft and low. He continued bouncing, but the sound became slower and more rhythmic. "And what would your problem be this time?"

"No one takes me seriously!" Dedede proclaimed. "Meta Knight started it with bringing those little Kirby brats in here, and now everyone been presuming on my good favor! I just want people to see how I'm the one in charge here, and how they should be listening to me!"

"Oh, of course, sire." The rhythmic thumping continued as the jester bounced on his ball. "And why do you think people don't take you seriously? Perhaps there is some reason why they'll listen to someone like Meta Knight or even Kirby and then don't see your majesty for what it is?"

"It's all 'cause those two are warriors and fight off monsters wherever they appear," the Pengu scowled. "Doesn't anyone get suspicious on why monsters always appear where those two are at?"

"Well, it's too bad there has been no chance for your majesty to prove your own abilities." Marx grinned slyly. "Perhaps if you could prove you just as strong as, no stronger than, those two, then the people would listen to you instead of them." He jumped off of his ball. "This is just my observation. Too bad there's no chance of that happening, what will the lack of attacks lately."

Dedede sprang up. "Ya know what, Marx! You're right! That would work! I know just what I'll do!" With that, he ran out of the room without another word.

Marx grinned to himself as he left. Dedede was too easy to manipulate. No doubt the fool was going to his minions to make some sort of trouble in order to make himself look good. With any luck, it would also cause problems for those two pesky Star Warriors as well.

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Energy ran high as the small group raced to the dig site. Sure enough, poking out of the side of a far wall, was a huge hunk of metal. It was partially showing through the crumbles of dirt and rock which clung to its huge form. It was rusted and dented, as if it had suffered from some sort of attack, but it stood with no holes or apparent openings. On its side, also somewhat hidden by the debris of the unearthing, was about half of what appeared to be a five-point star.

Adeleine and Mr. Curio were already examining the exposed area of the hulking object. Adeleine, who was working hard to sketch out the amazing find, turned around as she heard footsteps. She grinned brightly when she saw who it was. "Hey, guys!" she called out, waving for the other children to come over. "Take a look at this!"

A tone of awe and amazement overtook the group as they overlooked the discovery. This thing was huge! How on Pop Star had it been here for so long without any hint of its presence?

"Mr. Curio, how old is this?" Tiff asked, running her hand over the worn but still strong metal.

"That's the confusing thing," the old archeologist answered. "Normally, something buried this deep would date back around several thousand star-years. However, the mineral patterns that show in the surrounding wall is mixed up, suggesting that this hasn't been here nearly that long. From the looks of things, this was buried only for a small number of years ago, around a star-decade or so."

"How could something huge like this get buried without anyone noticing it?" Ado asked.

"Yeah!" Tuff added. "There's no way something like this could appear without anyone else taking notice!"

"Well," Mr. Curio said as he examined the exposed side, "hopefully, whatever is inside can answer those questions. If only there were some way to get this open." He continued to work at the side with a brush to try to show any area where the vessel might be opened without damaging it.

The only one not to react with shock and amazement was Kirby. He just stood back staring at the huge ship. Something about it tickled his memory, as if he had seen it before, but he wasn't sure why. It was like having a word on the tip of your tongue, but not being able to say it. "Poyo," he murmured thoughtfully, trying to place this feeling.

The younger Puffals, eager to help with the amazing discovery, had begun moving away rock and dirt from the lower areas of the ship while their elders had been musing over the puzzle the ship presented. Suddenly, without warning, the little red one began crying out excitedly. "Poyo! Poyo poy poyo!" He waved his arms and pointed out to something he had uncovered.

The other reacted quickly and saw what the little one was trying to point out. It was some sort of controller pad, the likes of which that are used to open and close mechanical doors. It was likely overlooked, as it was located lower than expected, as if it had been made for someone who was shorter than the typical height.

Mr. Curio smiled and patted the young Puffal on the head. "My, aren't you the handy one!" He turned back to the device. "If the control panel is here, than the door can't be too far away."

The baby beamed from the praise. Suddenly, a look of surprised delight appeared in his face and he ran over to Kirby. "Poyo Handii!" he declared proudly.

Kirby thought for a moment before nodding. "Handii goo' name!" he agreed.

Lololo laughed. "'Handy' isn't a name. It just means that you are helpful."

The little one frowned, about to argue, but was cut off by Lalala. "But Andy is a name, if you like the sound of it."

The red baby thought for a moment before nodding. He grinned broadly. "Aandii!"

The four suddenly turned when a cry of delight came out from the other group. They hadn't been paying attention to the naming game due to the new discovery. They had now gotten somewhat further by the discovery of some sort of peephole, which had been uncovered by several of the buttons on the control panel.

"Well!" Mr. Curio declared. "I wouldn't expect the machinery to still be in working order! Whoever built this must have made sure that it would be able to take untold amounts of damage.

Poppy pressed his face against the hole, ducking down because it was also positioned for someone shorter. "Nothing to see," he said, disappointment clear in his voice. "It's just black in there."

"Poyo, le' Kaabii see!" Kirby declared. Poppy moved over, allowing the young Puffal to move in. It was just over the young one's head, but he was able to look into it a little more comfortably. As he looked in, a broad beam of light came out and scanned the young one's eye.

Kirby jumped back in surprise when it happened. Suddenly, the whole panel started to respond. _Retinal Scan confirmed, _a robotic voice said as the machine whirred to life. _Designation: Kirby, Level: Galactic Star Army Squire, Order of Star Warriors. Welcome aboard, Squire Kirby._ With that, a doorway opened up, allowing the group to peer inside.

"How the heck did you do that?" Tuff asked, the only one to voice the surprise and astonishment that the whole group felt.

Kirby rubbed the side of his head, just as surprised by this sudden turn of events as everyone else. "Poyo?" he shrugged.

To be continued…

_Author's Note: Yeah, I stink at one-shots, so these will probably all have multiple chapters. Each title will be a separate episode though! By the way, a star-year is about 20 years, so a star-decade is about 200 years. (All Kirby characters age really slowly.)  
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	6. Chapter 6: What's in a Name? Part Two

_xXSilent DreamerXx: Yeah, it was a bit unusual that this chapter came so close to the last one. I actually have a certain continuing thread in mind, so that might happen more often in the future. However, each story will also have their own separate events. Also, as a small bit of behind the scenes info, the first part of the last chapter was originally a part of "Glimpse of the Past" Part 4, but I moved it on._

_Ah, I knew I was the minority from the start, so no offense taken. I know the accent in the dub isn't very authentic (so no dream-crushing happening), I just like how it sounds. However, I do like Japanese Meta Knight's voice as well, so feel free to use whatever voice you like best. Except for American Smash Bros. Meta Knight's voice. He sounds like he's been eating cigarettes in that game._

_You're a Tokkori hater, too! Yay! (Throws a tomato at Tokkori.) I think that's about the only thing everyone can agree on. He just so nasty to everyone, especially Kirby, and Kirby's been nothing but kind to him! I actually came up with Pitch's character that way. (He was actually only called Sam as a child. It was one of those nicknames you grow out of.) I was trying to come up with some funny way to drive Tokkori up a wall, so I decided to give him a super polite nephew. Since Tokkori already kind of looked like Pitch, who was a character in Kirby's Dreamland 3, I decided to use the little bird in that role. Don't worry too much for Pitch, though. His mom, Yuki, did get embarrassed by her brother a lot, but she's one of the few characters who Tokkori is actually afraid of. Yuki has no fear of giving Tokkori a good hard smack upside the head, and she had instilled this ability in her son. You'll be seeing Pitch reign his uncle in in future episodes.  
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_As for the ship, you'll just have to wait and see..._

_Storytosee: Thanks for the compliment. I'll try to have reminders on the babies names so they are a bit easier to keep track of._

_The world of Kirby and everything in it belongs to Nintendo, Hal Laboratory, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc. I own absolutely nothing._

Episode Six: What's in a Name? Part Two

The group looked into the opened doorway and strained their eyes to see what was hidden within. However, it was very dark inside, and near impossible to see from the outside.

Mr. Curio took out several glow sticks and handed one each to Tiff and Adeleine. "It's structurally sound," he said as he did so, "so it should be alright to go in. Stay in groups and call out if you need help." With that, he activated his own glow stick and entered the ship.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

The inside of the ship showed signs of the natural decay of time. It was clear this had once been a magnificent battle ship, but the years of laying under dirt had caused much of it to fall into deformation and chaos. All around, items that once had been of use to the Star Warriors lay scattered around. Most of them were broken, so they were uninteresting to the two groups of children.

Adeleine's group, which consisted of Poppy, Ado, Andy, and the green and white babies, had wandered down a hallway which seemed to lead upwards. The rooms that lined the hall appeared to have been chambers, as every one of them had a bed, a dresser, and a mirror. These rooms were in just as much disarray, but they were considerably more interesting.

The kids examined these rooms with interest, wondering who had once occupied them. Occasionally, a small personal item was found. A broken communicator, a polishing brush, or a photo of people who they didn't recognize were all found and brought with.

Their most interesting discovery was in the last room of the hallway. It was just as ripped up as the other rooms, so they were considering just passing by, when something reflected the light from the glows stick back in an odd fashion.

"What's that?" Poppy asked, noticing the sudden glint.

"Let's go see," Adeleine said, and she turned to enter the room. The item of interest lay under a drawer which had fallen from the dresser and had been covered, for the most part, by long discarded clothing. This was easy enough to clear away, revealing the mysterious item to be a metal box.

"Oh, see what's inside!" Poppy cried, and the others nodded sharing his excitement.

The box contained three things: A huge leather bound journal and two photos.

The journal was locked, but Adeleine put it in her art bag. She would see if she could open it later.

The first picture was just like all the others they had seen before. Two creatures from a species the children had never seen before were the focus, and they looked lovingly at each other. On the back, the title "Rosalyn and Heavy Knight, thirtieth anniversary" was written in flowery handwriting, which meant nothing to the children.

The other one was much more interesting, however. It featured four individuals, one of whom was clearly Meta Knight! The others were three other creatures, a man and a woman of the same species as Knuckle Joe and Silica, and a mouse. All four had masks on, though they were pushed up so their faces were revealed. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. On the back, in a much simpler hand, was the description "At the knighting of Sir Meta Knight, Sir Jecra, Lady Garlude, and Sir Daroach."

Things were dead silent for a while. Finally, Ado spoke. "Whoa." She had intended to say more, but the surprise made any other attempt to speak seem silly.

Adeleine placed both pictures into a small pouch in her art bag. "We'll have to ask later," she said. "Right now, we need to see if the others have found anything else."

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"I'm just saying," Magolor stated, "if you'd just let me use even a small ice or water-type spell, you wouldn't have any need to use so much coolant on making sure those mechanical monstrosities of yours don't have a meltdown."

"And wind up with it going out of control and getting an ice sculpture or a puddle?" Escargoon snorted. He turned back to attending to the engine of the robot he was working on. "No thanks. I'd rather depend on what has been found to work and has a sensible explanation, thank you very much."

"Just because your precious science can't explain magic doesn't mean that it won't work!" The white-clad alien dashed forwards. "I know on personal experience these things only go bad when there's some sort of interference. Here, I'll show you!"

"No, don't! I'm still working on stabilizing the-!"

**Boom!**

"Now look what you did! I was working on that all week!"

"If you had only let me work without any distractions, this wouldn't have happened, you moronic gastropod!"

"Moronic! Well, I'll show you, you idiot! I'll send you on a one way trip back to Halcandra in a wooden crate!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Why you! When I get my hands on you-!"

"Magolor! Escargoon! What in the blue blazes are the two of you doing?!" King Dedede waved smoke from the explosion away as he entered the secret laboratory.

Immediately, both of the workers, who had each other by the throat, pointed at the other. "It's his fault!"

"I don't care whose fault it is!" The Pengu pushed his way forwards through a near sea of rubble and debris. "I just want this place cleaned up. I've got a job for you, and it doesn't involve being buried under junk."

"Oh! I've got just the spell for that!" Magolor declared. He was about to start it when Escargoon cut him off.

"We'll just have the Waddle Dees clean it," he said. "It would be better to have this done the old fashioned way. After all, it was magic that made this mess."

Magolor frowned, but was unable to come up with a retort. He just scowled before taking a seat.

"Now, that that's settled," Escargoon said, turning to Dedede, "what can we do for you, sire?"

Dedede grinned. "I need ya both to make a monster!"

This caught the duo's attention. "A monster?" Magolor asked, cutting his sulk short. "What do you want a monster for?"

"I'm glad you asked." The Pengu took a seat before explaining his reasoning. "It's come to my notice that folks around here don't have the respect for their king that they do have for certain individuals who will remain nameless. I suspect this is because said individuals have had multiple opportunities to prove their strength against foes that I have not."

"So," Magolor intuited, "you want us to make a monster for you to defeat so that the people of Dreamland will respect you as much as they respect Kirby."

Dedede became defensive. "Who said I was talking about Kirby? I just said certain individuals! Anyway, I want you two to work together to make some sort of trouble. I come in, and before ya know it, people are paying attention to me, and not to Kir- I mean other people."

"Sire," Escargoon put in, a tone of nervousness in his voice, "is there any particular reason you want us to be in on this together? Our areas of expertise don't exactly…mesh well."

"He's just afraid to accept that he can't understand everything that would be going on," Magolor grumbled under his breath.

"I need something that can't be traced back to me. The mixture of magic and mechanics will make it harder to track back." Dedede stood to go. "And I need it by this afternoon."

"What!" Both of the workers jumped about six feet in the air.

"Sire, there's just not enough time!" Escargoon tried to reason.

"If you could just wait a bit longer, things would work much smoother," Magolor added.

"I need it this afternoon," the Pengu repeated. "It had better be ready by then!" With that, he turned to go.

Left alone once more, the duo stared at each other in disbelief. Finally, Escargoon sighed. "Well, we'd better get started." He gathered together his tools. "As we have only a few hours to get this done, we're going to have to do our best to get our projects to work together."

"Let's get to it then," Magolor said. He looked over the set of blueprints spread on the table. He looked up suddenly. "I can already see where some changes will need to be made to accommodate my work."

Several crashes from the laboratory told of how progress would be for the next several hours.

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Inside the strange vessel, the children continued their search. Tiff band, which had Tuff, Lololo, Lalala, Kirby, Sammy, and the blue, purple, and yellow babies, had been working their way into the lower portions of the ship.

There wasn't much to be seen this way. Most of the rooms contained damaged machinery which, when it was still running, must have powered and controlled the ship. These might have been interesting in the past, but with star-years' worth of rust and decay coating them, it would be rather difficult for there to be must distinction between different gear. As such, the kids typically passed by when they came upon such rooms.

Finally, they reached a room which must have been in the back-center portion of the ship. It was a wide, mostly empty room. Scattered over the ground was a variety of equipment of differing kinds.

"This must have been some kind of training room or gym," Lalala stated, observing the different equipment.

"Oh yeah!" Tuff cried out all of a sudden. "Take a look at this!" He held a bright silver stick with several different carvings on it up in the air. "This must be some sort of awesome Star Warrior spear or something!"

"Put that down, Tuff," Tiff scolded. "We don't know what these are or what they do. They might be dangerous."

"I'll bet they are dangerous," her brother responded. He grinned, twirling the spear around. "Some warrior probably used this to defeat lots of monsters! I'm so keeping this!" He slammed the butt of the weapon into the ground. This somehow cause some kind of spring-loaded response which sent the boy into the air.

"See what I mean!" Tiff shook her head. "Put that back before you get seriously hurt!"

The boy just laughed as he got back up. "Why? That was awesome! I've gotta keep that in mind for the future."

"We do have to find some samples for Mr. Curio," Lololo pointed out. He looked eager to avoid an argument.

Tiff frowned for a moment, before she sighed. "Fine, just no more weapons."

All this time, Kirby was staring at everything the ship had to offer. Somehow, it was all so familiar, yet all new. It was almost like something he had seen in a dream, and he had forgotten the dream, only to barely recall it now.

He only looked up when his foot hit something, making a clink. He looked down, and realized that he had accidentally kicked a gauntlet. It was a dull gold color, and its pair could be seen nearby.

"Poyo!" he called forwards, waving his find. "Poyo, f'und sum gwoves! T'is goo'?"

"Those will be great, Kirby," Lalala called down. "Just be careful. We don't know what these things will do."

After a few more minutes of searching, Tiff spoke up. "There doesn't appear to be anything else in here. We'd better head back out and see if the others found anything of use."

Outside, the others were already waiting. Most of them had gathered around Mr. Curio, who seemed to have gleaned some info from what was left of the computers. The only exceptions were the artist twins and the green and white babies.

Adeleine had finished painting an apple, and using her special abilities, tore the painting off of the canvas so that it turned into a real apple. This she handed to the little green Puffal at her feet. "Here you are, Marty," she said.

"Poyo!" the little one said gratefully before popping it in his mouth.

"Hey guys!" Tuff called out as he reached the four. "Who Marty?"

Adeleine laughed. She motioned to the little green baby. "This is Marty. That one is Mikey." Here she pointed to the white baby. "The babies need names, so Ado and I came up with names for these two. Isn't that right, little guys?"

Marty grinned brightly. "Poyo Maatii," he declared, pointing a stubby little hand at himself.

Mikey, not wanting to be ignored, tackled his brother. "Poyo Miikii!" he stated proudly.

Ado laughed and picked the white Puffal up. "These two are together so much that we decided they should have matching names, like me and Adeleine, and Lololo and Lalala."

"Cool! I want to name one, too." Tuff said. He thought for a moment before picking the purple baby up. "This one's Charlie!"

"That's cute," Adeleine responded. "Any particular reason for that name?"

"Charlie's an awesome name," Tuff answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Right, Charlie?"

The baby grinned delightedly. "Cha'lii, poyo!" he squealed, giving his approval.

"Hey guys!" Tiff called from over at the other group. "You might want to take a look at this!"

The six rushed over to see what was so interesting. Mr. Curio was holding up some sort of hand-held device. Hovering over it was a picture of a Warrior in gold armor and some writing in a language that they couldn't recognize.

"What does it say?" Ado asked as they gathered nearer.

"I don't know for certain," the archeologist answered. "It's not written in a language I am familiar with, but I think I can pick up bits and pieces. From what I can see, that ship's name is something like the _Caliburn_ and it belonged to this fellow, Sir Arturune. Beyond that, I'm afraid that I cannot decipher any meaning from the writing.

The kids stared at the writing. The letters were familiar, but they might as well been scribbles from how much sense they made. Suddenly, Poppy spoke up. "I bet Sir Meta Knight will be able to read what it says," he commented. "He's a Star Warrior himself, after all. He'll know what this says!

"Good idea." Mr. Curio handed the holodeck to him. "Why don't you kids go ask him? I have to get these artifacts back to the shop, as well as arrange a new area in the museum for the Star Warrior artifacts."

"You got it, Mr. C!" Tuff brandished his spear, as if leading and army. "Come on guys! Let's head out!"

"Poyo!" the yellow baby squeaked in agreement. He dashed off at an amazing pace, which even the older children had difficulty keeping up with.

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"Well, I guess it's as ready as it's going to be," Escargoon sighed as he and Magolor over-viewed their "masterpiece". Quite frankly, it was garbage. Usually, the duo were pretty good in their respective fields, but they rarely worked well together, and never when so pressed for time. As a result, the "monster" they had built looked less like a monster and more like some bits of scrap metal welded and hammered into the shape of a velociraptor with a few bits of magic to make it able to move in a jerky fashion that would make a toy robot look high-tech. It pretty much looked that way because that was exactly what it was.

"Maybe his highness won't notice the gears sticking out," Magolor added, trying and failing to sound hopeful.

"Mr. Escargoon, Mr. Magolor, his highness King Dedede sent me to check on your progress." The duo jumped at the sound of a voice behind them. They turned to see Marx enter the room, for once without his trademark ball.

The jester didn't wait for any comments and just went to examine the sorry excuse for a Halloween decoration. Finally, he spoke. "Ah, very good! Very good! This will do quite well."

The two looked up in surprise. "You really think so?" Magolor asked, a questioning tone in his voice.

Marx nodded. "Of course! This will do a great job of keeping the townsfolk off guard before the real monster pops out. Now, where is the real monster?"

"Well," Escargoon said, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly, "about that…"

"You don't mean to say that _this_ is the monster you've been working on all day?" The small jester shook his head. "Well, his majesty isn't going to be pleased to hear that! Well, we had best go and bite the bullet right now rather than tell him later." With that, he turned to go.

"Wait! There's no harm in telling him later!" Magolor called as he chased after Marx.

"As much as I hate to agree with him, he's right!" Escargoon added as he too joined the chase. "We can tell him after he's lost interest! It happens all the time!"

The trio had rushed out so fast that none of them noticed when the curtain nearby rustled. It then moved back, revealing that someone had been listening in to their conversation.

Meta Knight chuckled quietly to himself as he left. This sort of turnout was typical. The Star Warrior always kept an eye on the duo, just to be on the safe side, but while they were both excellent, and perhaps even dangerous, in their own areas of expertise, those two could never get along. This meant that any attempt of Dedede's to cause trouble was harmless and, more often than not, hilarious. There would be no problem with leaving this alone for now.

He walked silently down the palace corridors, an impressive achievement considering how much metal he was wearing. Nothing had happened that required his attention at the moment, so he thought he'd take this opportunity to get back to his room and continue his book on Pop Star lore.

However, something else caught his attention before he could reach the security of his room. In the main corridor of the palace, several of the children were speaking with Bandana Dee. "No," the Waddle Dee said in response to some question, "I'm afraid haven't seen Sir Meta Knight all day."

"You wish to speak with me?" the knight asked, coming forwards out of the shadows.

The children responded with surprise and Bandana Dee froze up and fell over in shock. The voice of the knight had not been loud, but it was so unexpected that it was rather startling.

Meta Knight offered his hand to the fallen Waddle Dee. "My apologies. I did not mean to startle you, but I overheard that the young ones wished to speak with me."

"Don't worry about it," Bandana Dee responded, straightening his namesake. Honestly, he knew Meta Knight was a good guy, but he was kind of unnerved by how the knight was always moving about unseen and popping out of the most unexpected places. Right now, the Dee was just eager to be on his way. "I've got to go, uh, examine something! Goodbye!"

"Farewell, my friend." Meta Knight turned back to the young ones. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" His expression changed when he saw what Tuff was carrying. "Where did you find that?" he asked, his eyes turning a light red broken with white flashes.

For the most part, the kids did not notice his emotional change. "We found this really, neat old Star Warrior ship!" the boy answered, holding the spear aloft. "There was all sorts of neat stuff in there!"

"We also have some information from the ship," Tiff added. "We think it's about why it was here and who brought it, but we couldn't read the information. We thought you might know what it said. Poppy, show him the holodeck."

Poppy activated the small machine and handed it to Meta Knight. The warrior saw the image and read the information clear as day. Underneath his mask, he paled as if he had seen a ghost. Which, in one way, he pretty much had.

After several minutes, it was Kirby who broke the silence. "Medikni, w'at it say?"

Snapped back to reality, Meta Knight turned off the holodeck and shoved it under his cape. "Nothing that you must be concerned with," he said quickly. There was a tone of uncharacteristic harshness in his voice.

He then took the spear from Tuff. "I'm afraid this is too dangerous for you to use untrained," he said, trying his best to regain his composure.

"Then train me to use it!" Tuff replied. "All this Star Warrior stuff is cool! I want to join too!"

"Be thankful that you don't have to," was the only reply.

Meta Knight turned to go. Before he left, however, he gave one last comment. "I cannot keep you from examining that ship, but heed my warning. Some secrets are better left as secrets." With that, he left as quickly as possible.

The kids could only stare in shock. Meta Knight had never acted this way before. It was almost like he was afraid of something.

Back safe in his own room, Meta Knight looked over the holodeck once more. It listed the information about the ship, the _Excalibur_, and the reason it had brought its crew to Pop Star. The mission that they had failed. That _he _had failed. The face of Sir Arthur seemed to stare at him in judgment.

Unable to bear it any longer, the remaining Star Warrior turned his gaze to the spear he had confiscated. Sir Ephraim's spear. He hadn't even been on this mission. The weapon must have been left in the training room by accident. Ephraim had always been absent minded like that.

Meta Knight sighed, and turned his thoughts to the problem that he had been trying to ignore. If the _Excalibur_ had unearthed itself that meant that the time of reckoning had come.

He slammed his hand down on the desk near the door. He wasn't ready! Kirby was nowhere near trained enough to deal with this! He'd do his best, of course, to keep the baby out of the line of fire, but he knew this would be difficult, if not impossible.

Then there was those kids. Meta Knight liked those children, but sometimes they were too inquisitive for their own good. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if they got too close to the source of these problems.

He placed the spear in a trunk where he kept several other items from his past. He had to calm down, that much he was certain of. He'd go out to his training field far outside of Cappy Town and practice with Galaxia. Hopefully, this would help him calm down. He had experienced enough to know that answers to his problems would come in time. He just had to be patient and vigilant.

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Dedede stood facing a window in his throne room, thinking about just how to pull of his big entrance this afternoon. It would be great! He'd finally get the respect and admiration he deserved! He turned around and opened his mouth, prepared to practice his grand speech, when he noticed that someone else was in the room.

"Marx!" He declared, shocked by the jester's sudden entrance. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"My most gracious apologies, great king," Marx responded, bowing deeply. "It's just that I finished checking on the progress of your monster."

"Is that so?" Dedede grinned brightly. Time was almost near. "So what did ya think?"

At this point Magolor and Escargoon had caught up, and were trying to motion for Marx to keep quiet without being seen. The jester, however, had other ideas.

"Oh great king, I'm afraid that it is so amazing that I cannot describe it. Instead, why don't you have the inventors themselves tell you of their progress?" With a swift kick, he opened the door wide, revealing the duo's hiding space.

Dedede was liking where this was going. "Alright then. What do you two have to say?"

"Ah, sire," Escargoon said, trying to think of something that wouldn't set off the Pengu's infamous hair-trigger temper. "It's, ah, coming along very well, isn't that right, Magolor?"

"Of course," the Halcandrian stuttered out, "it's important, um, to remember that this is a work in progress."

"Oh, they are being far too modest," Marx said, shaking his head as if dismissing false modesty. "You must come and see their progress yourself, sire. I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"Alright then," Dedede responded. "I think I will. If you're so impressed with it, it must really be something!"

"Oh, it's something alright." Escargoon mumbled quietly.

"Now," Magolor said, desperate to keep the Pengu away from their disaster of an invention, "we don't need to see it now. Why don't we come back after dinner? After all, these thing tend to look better when you don't have food on the mind."

"Nonsense." The jester gave a sly smile. "They're just eager to make sure everything's perfect, but I can guarantee you'll be impressed by what you see."

"Well, it's settled then!" the Pengu responded. "I command you two to show me what you have finished."

"Yes, sire," both responded in defeated voices.

It was a painful trek to the inventing studio. When they arrived, Dedede entered first, eager to see the progress on his monster. He was followed closely by Marx. Escargoon and Magolor stayed outside and waited for the outraged outcry that Dedede was bound to give. However, when it came, it wasn't quite what was expected.

"Well!" the Pengu exclaimed in a pleased tone of voice. "This is what I call a monster!"

The duo's jaws dropped in unison, and they rushed in to see why the king was so happy. They had no preparation for what they were about to see.

Standing in the place of the hunk of junk they invented was what appeared to be a real flesh-and-blood monster! It stood on two legs which appeared to have been made for running swiftly. At the ends of both its legs and arms were long claws which sparked with electricity. It had a long spiked tail, which also had an electrical glow, swung with a deadly gracefulness around its legs. The head, which was eyeless yet seemed to sense everything, housed a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. All in all, it had taken on the appearance of a creature made with one purpose: to kill.

Dedede was pleased as punch. "Well, I'll admit I had my doubts there for a few moments, but you boys outdid yourselves with this!" He patted the side of the monster. "Once I beat this thing, everyone's gonna have to listen to me from now on!"

The duo could only stare open mouthed. They had no idea how this creature had replaced the junk heap they made.

"Is it not as I said?" Marx commented. "This will be a most glorious triumph for you, oh great king."

"Uh, yeah! Of course!" Escargoon collected himself first. "This is just what we had planned." The snail then turned quietly to Magolor. "Is this some spell of yours?"

"Not that I can think of," the Halcandrian responded. "I have no clue how this happened, but let's not look a gift Wheelie in the engine." He then turned to Dedede. "We're so pleased you like it, sire. When do you plan on using it?"

"Start getting it ready in the Main Street in Cappy Town." The Pengu grinned broadly. "We'll get out in about a half-hour. I want everyone to witness my great victory!"

To Be Continued…

_Author's Note: With Meta Knight's eyes, there are some emotions that we never saw in the anime. For these emotions, I make up the colors myself. Red broken by flashes of white signifies fear._


	7. Chapter 7: What's in a Name? Part Three

_JC: Thanks for complement! I hope you like where I take the story._

_Plute222: Thank you for commenting on my story! I so glad that you like what I have done. I've worked on this for a while now, so I'm hoping to keep this running for a while. I plan on putting in little mysteries so that when one is answered, more are opened up. I once read on the profile for The Cosmic Penguin (an awesome writer, by the way, even though I don't agree with all their theories) the quote that you should write what you want to read. I agree wholeheartedly with that, and try to do that myself as a writer._

_Also: Yay! Someone else who like Spanish Meta Knight! I agree that it is not perfect (there are times when I can't not hear James from Team Rocket, as Eric Stuart voiced them both), but I believe it gives MK kind of a suave Hispanic gentleman vibe. I know I'm the minority, so it feels good to know there are those who agree with me._

_All Kirby characters and settings belong to Nintendo, Hal Laboratories, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc. I own diddly squat._

Episode Seven: What's in a Name? Part 3

"Is it just me," Ado asked as the group of kids turned to leave the castle, "or was Meta Knight acting kinda funny?"

"I don't know what was on that recording," Tiff responded, "but it seemed to spook him."

"Maybe we should let things be," Adeleine said after a few moments. "After all, if it spooked someone like Sir Meta Knight, then it's probably something dangerous and scary."

"No way!" Tuff declared. "If there's something coming, it'd be better to know about it beforehand. That way, we can prepare to face it, instead of always having to hide when trouble comes!"

"Normally, I'd say that we should listen to Meta Knight," Tiff said after thinking for a moment, "but here, Tuff's right. Remember when Nightmare attacked us? We were basically only Kirby's cheer-squad. Even in that deal with the Collector, there really wasn't much we could do to help." She got up after a moment. "One things for sure. As long as we're in the dark, we're going to be pretty useless."

Kirby patted the girl on her shoulder. "No u'less," he said, doing his best to be comforting. "You Kaabii fwiends!"

Tiff gave a small smile to the little Star Warrior. "Thanks for trying, Kirby, but I'm afraid even the babies would be more help than we are right now." She motioned to the little ones, who were happily playing with several shiny pebbles they had found. "At least they have the copy ability, like you do."

"Hey, guys!" a voice in the distance called. "You guys coming or what?"

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

The kids looked up and spotted three more of their friends, Iroo, Hohhe, and Honey. The three Cappy kids were waving for the others to join them.

"Coming where?" Poppy asked.

"Don't you remember?" Iroo called back. "It's the fourth Thursday! Free sample Thursday at the restaurant!"

All the kids got up at that. Every other Thursday, Kawasaki and Nago gave out free samples of the food they offer. They would alternate who cooked by the day. Kawasaki got the second, and Nago the fourth. Samples always went fast, so you always had to hurry to make it on time.

Hearing the prospect of food, the babies also got up and followed after the older kids. Once again, the little yellow one raced ahead of the others, overtaking even the older children. However, in doing so, he ran smack into Hohhe, knocking them both over.

The Cappy kid looked around in shock. As usually, he wasn't really paying attention, so the yellow baby had stunned him. "What hit me?"

Honey was quick to pick the baby up. "Aw!" she declared, cooing over the struggling Puffal. "He looks just like Kirby!" She then noticed the other babies as they clustered around. "Where did they all come from?"

By now, the older kids had caught up. "These are Kirby's new siblings," Adeleine explained. She went on to explain everything that had happened with the Collector. "Now, since they have nowhere else to go," she finished, "they're going to be staying here, in Cappy Town."

"Aww, man!" Iroo grumbled. "It figures that the time when there's a big adventure is also the time when we had to be in Yogurt Yard on an errand for school!"

"That's OK," Honey said. She was still fawning over the yellow baby, who was making it clear he wanted to be put down. "At least these little cuties are getting to stay. What are their names?"

"Well," Tiff said, "we only have names for a couple of them. The brown one's Sammy, the red one's Andy, the Green one's Marty, the white one's Mikey, and the purple one's Charlie. I'm afraid the yellow and blue ones don't have names yet."

"Well," Hohhe recommended, "since this little guy likes racing so much, how about Toby? Like Toby Falcons, the Cappy racer who holds the record for fastest speed on a race track."

"He also holds the record for most crashes walked away from," Poppy snarked.

The baby, however, seemed to like the idea. He succeeded in squirming away from Honey. "Poyo Toobii!" he declared.

Suddenly, he stopped for a moment, and looked up. He grinned brightly for a moment and rushed off. He was then followed by the other babies and Kirby, who had caught on to what he had sensed.

The other children caught it in a moment too, and rushed off after the babies. "Hey, wait guys!" Tuff called out. "Leave some of the samples for us, too!"

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The town square was full, as it typically was on sample days. The villagers who live in and around Cappy Town always made certain to be present. Indeed, it was hard to imagine at this time that this area was usually pretty peaceful. It was the perfect area to set up the plan.

Dedede grinned. With everyone here, there would be lots of witnesses to his "heroic" feat.

He was currently waiting near a shop across the street from the restaurant as he usually did, with Bandana Dee (who was clueless as to the plan) standing guard nearby. Marx was currently setting up the fake monster in a clearing of tall bushes. It would be controlled by Escargoon and Magolor, who would be able to view all the happenings from back within the palace.

The "Monster" wouldn't hurt anyone, only cause a panic among the gatherers. Then, when everyone was certain that the horrible creature couldn't be stopped, he'd come out and save the day! Everyone would then laud him as a hero, and then he'd finally get the respect he deserved.

The Pengu smirked at the idea. If he was lucky, that Ebrum girl might even see it, so he could rub his great victory in her face.

He was still thinking about his soon to be victory when he felt something hit him in the back. Whatever it was that hit him moving fast, and when it hit fell back and squeaked "Poyo!"

Dedede turned around and realized to his dismay that it was one of those annoying Kirby babies. "Watch where you're going, pipsqueak," the Pengu growled.

The baby, however, wasn't intimidated. "Poy poyo poyo Toobii," he said, waving his little arm in a scolding manner. "Poyo poyo, poyo poyo poyo!"

"I don't know what you just said," Dedede snarled back, "but I know ya just said something I wouldn't like. You've got some nerve, ya know. Don't you know who I am?"

"Poyo!" was the bold response. "Poyo poy Dedededededede poyo poyo poyo poy!"

By now, Kirby had caught up with his younger brother. "Poyo, Toobii ha' ta wait for ev'y-u," he explained as he tried to catch his breath. He suddenly noticed Dedede. "Hi!" he said, grinning brightly. He proudly patted his brother on the head. "Thi' Toobii, Kaabii's brotah! Toobii ve'wy fas'!"

Toby grinned, beaming with the praise.

Dedede scowled. "Just what I need. A mouthy Kirby." With this, he stormed off, ignoring chattering Puffal.

Kirby frowned. He was very happy to have new siblings, and he was rather upset that Dedede wasn't happy too. After all, the babies might be a bit of a handful, but they were so much fun to have around, and the little warrior was certain that everyone would agree with him, if only they'd come to meet the little ones.

Bandana Dee, after viewing the fight, patted Kirby on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he said, trying to be comforting. "I'm sure his highness is just in a bad mood. He'll come around eventually."

"Hey guys!" Ado called over from the line forming outside the restaurant. She, along with the others, had arrived and taken their places while the argument had been going on. "They're getting ready to open! You'd better hurry up and join us!"

Kirby and Toby hurried to the two spots saved, though Toby was still upset by the way Dedede had yelled at him. Tiff laughed, giving the little yellow Puffal a smile. "Don't worry about it. I've been having problems with him since I started talking, and I still haven't had much progress. He's just that way."

"Poyo," Toby squeaked in agreement, crossing his arms.

"It's kind of funny, though," Lalala added. "Usually Dedede's at the front of the line and won't move for anything. Today he just kind of ran off. Do you think he's up to something?"

"Maybe," Iroo replied, "but whatever it is, it can probably wait until after the samples are given out."

"Poyo!" Kirby squealed in agreement.

Dedede rounded a corner, and looked briefly to make sure he wasn't being watched. When he was certain that everybody was focused on the sampling, he pulled out a walkie-talkie. "You two online yet?" he asked.

It was Magolor who answered. "We're online and ready to go. We're just waiting on your word."

"Well, ya got it." He grinned to himself. "It's time that all these no-counts figure out who's really ruling the roost around here!"

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Meta Knight worked hard in his training. He had gone far out into the woodlands to practice. Whispy Woods had been kind enough to allow the knight to have a secluded area to practice with Galaxia and clear his head. Usually, such activity calmed him and allowed him to see things from a less emotional perspective, but today, it wasn't helping much.

He felt bad about snapping at the kids. They hadn't intended any harm, and they were only curious. On the other hand, however, they were coming too close to dangerous secrets; secrets that he had held for who knows how many star-years; that even Sword and Blade were completely unaware of. If they found out just what was hidden within the old files of the Star Warrior Archives, than everything he had worked for, even before he arrived at Dreamland, could be put in jeopardy.

Then there was the awakening of the _Excalibur. _All Star Warrior vessels were well made, so there was no surprise in that it would still be semi-functional after all these star-years, but the fact that it had unearthed itself, rather than waiting to be activated, was a bad sign. It stated that they had far less time than he had first anticipated. That danger was close at hand.

Meta Knight swung Galaxia twice at the limb of a dead log, cutting it neatly, first from the trunk and then in half. He watched as the twigs fell and then, moving swiftly, caught them before they hit the forest floor.

Perhaps he should tell someone else. At the very least, the heavy weight of all these secrets would not rest solely on him. Then, he would have a confidant he would be able to discuss these problems with. Even if they couldn't help much with executing what must be done, a listener to bear the burden with him would be such a relief to have.

He tossed the twigs away, as if tossing those ideas away with them. No. This was his problem, and his problem alone. In his experience, bad things have happened to people who tried to aid him with his problems. It would be better to keep these secrets secret, and deal with them himself when the time came.

The Star Warrior was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a loud explosion. He looked up and realized there was smoke rising above the tree-line in the direction of Cappy Town. Something had happened there! There might be trouble.

By instinct, his wings flared out as he prepared for flight. However, a surge of pain in his left wing reminded him why he had walked all the way out here.

He scowled. Flight was certainly out of the question, so he was going to have to run. He hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

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It was all out chaos in the town square. No one could have seen it coming. Everyone had been waiting patiently for their turn to collect a sample, when, out of the blue, the creature had attacked!

It was something out of a nightmare! Claws and tail-spikes crackled with electricity as it swiped out at anyone unfortunate enough to be to close. Everyone scattered far and wide, eager to avoid the monstrous creature. Kirby, with several of the kids, had taken sanctuary in a nearby tree, and his eyes scanned desperately for something to copy.

Before anyone else could respond, Dedede sprang out, hammer ready. "Y'all better stay back!" he called out. "I'll deal with the beast!" With that, he sprang at the monster, smacking it hard with his hammer.

That was where it was supposed to end. It was supposed to fall down with one hit, and then all would see how great their king was. There was only one problem. It didn't go down.

It had been thrown backwards, but instead of going limp, it sprang back onto its feet. It gave a screeching roar and charged at the Pengu, who could only just avoid a slash from the creature's claws.

"What's going on over there?" Dedede hissed into a hidden walkie-talkie. "That thing was supposed to go down! What are you doing over there?"

"It's not our fault!" Magolor called back. "Something's gone wrong, and we've lost control. I'm afraid you're on your own!"

"What!" the Pengu cried out, horror in his voice. He had no idea how to handle this thing.

The monster took advantage of his distraction and swung its tail at him. This succeeded in throwing him back into a shop wall, where he was knocked unconscious.

The monster stalked for a moment towards the unconscious Pengu, but then something else caught its attention. Far more interesting prey was hiding nearby. It raised its head, sniffing until it came upon an overturned fruit stand.

Underneath, Adeleine was hiding, clutching Sammy and the little blue baby close. She prayed that they wouldn't be noticed by the monster. However, the cover being thrown back violently told them it was too late.

However, before she could respond to stop them, the two babies sprang from her arms to deal with the monster, delivering swift kicks.

This had no effect, and the monster swiped them away with a knock of its tail. The duo were knocked into a glass window of a near window, which they bounced off of. They came to a stop, resting at the feet of the beast.

Seeing his little siblings in trouble, Kirby dashed out of his cover, copy ability or no. Marty followed closely behind him.

Mikey was also eager to spring into the fight. As he prepared to follow behind his twin, however, one of the broad leaves of the tree they had been in smacked him in the face. He looked in frustration at it for moment before getting an idea. He quickly inhaled the leaf to see if it would give him an ability.

A bright flash of light happened and as soon as it passed, the little white baby had transformed into Leaf Mikey! A crown of bright green leaves with an emerald in the center rested on his head. Now armed, he charged after his brothers into combat.

However, despite the intentions of the trio, they were too far away from the blue and brown babies to be of any help. The monster prepared to land the killing stroke, when its claws clanged noisily against steel.

The babies looked up to see what had saved them. Much to their surprise, it was Bandana Dee, who was holding the monstrous creature back with his spear!

He attacked the creature hard, but it was just too strong for him. It swung at him with its tail, which he was able to avoid. Unfortunately, this put him right in the path of its claws. It succeeded in catching his arm, causing him to drop his spear. The beast then swung again with its tail, and this time was successful in knocking him back into the damaged restaurant. The creature turned to its fallen foe, and prepared to strike.

With the monster temporarily distracted, the blue baby moved quickly, inhaling the fallen spear. In a flash, she gained the spear ability. In her hand rested the spear, though it now had a lavender ribbon bound around it, and on her head was a lavender headband with a golden crest resting on her forehead.

In a heartbeat, the blue baby charged the creature and landed a few skilled hits with the spear. The monster turned, but before it could respond to her, it was hit in the face by a full stream of leaves. It gave a cry and began tearing at the befuddling foliage, unable to respond to the multiple attacks the little Puffals unleashed on it.

Kawasaki and Nago were quick to pull the injured Bandana Dee away from the battle scene. "You alright there, little buddy?" the chef asked as Nago hurried to get the first aid kit.

"Got my arm. I think it's bleeding." The Waddle Dee grimaced. "Are they alright?"

"They're fine," Nago answered as he began pulling out bandages. "Kirby got to them. They've got their hands full, but they're not helpless."

"I've got to do something to help." Kawasaki gritted his teeth. He then spotted something that would do some good.

"Hey, Kirby!" the chef called out over the small barrier. "Catch!" With that, he tossed out his frying pan, hoping that the young Star Warrior could do something with it.

However, his aim was bad, and the pan landed nowhere close enough for the pink Puffal to get a hold of it. However, it was near enough for Marty to take notice. Hurriedly, the little green baby inhaled the utensil, and in a flash he transformed into Chef Marty. A white chef's hat rested on the young one's head and he brandished a large frying pan.

Now that three of the babies each had a copy ability, the fight wasn't quite so one sided. However, the little ones, though extremely skilled with their weapons, weren't enough to bring the monster down, and there was little any of the onlookers could do to help.

However, from her hiding place, Tiff noticed something of interest. One of the little spear baby's thrusts had caused a nick in one of the tail spikes. It wasn't deep, but it gave the young Dreamlander an idea.

"Hey, guys!" She called out to the fighters. "Aim for the spikes! See if you can't break them off!"

The Puffals nodded, signaling that they had heard the plan of action. Mikey continued distracting the beast with a barrage of leaves while the little spear baby started focusing her strikes on the spikes, whittling through them until she got one to break off. This she tossed to Sammy, who gave it a swift kick, knocking it over to Mikey. He batted it with his frying pan so that the crackling spine sailed over to Kirby, who quickly inhaled it.

In a flash, the young Star Warrior transformed. Resting atop his head was a gold circlet with a peridot stone resting in the center, and from the circlet long bolts of green lightning shot out. "Spa'k Kaabii!" Kirby declared.

The creature, roared and charged at the young warrior, who responded by unleashing a heavy bolt of electricity. This stunned the creature, which allowed Marty and his sister to land one more blow each. Then Kirby sent out one last mighty bolt of electricity, which finally felled the creature.

The danger now passed, the people of Cappy Town began to creep from their hiding places. Realizing their victory, a rush of excitement came through Kirby that he couldn't contain. He began a little celebratory dance, which his siblings soon joined in on.

A large crowd gathered around where the monster had fallen. Much to their surprise, it no longer resembled the monster that had been attacking a few moments ago. Instead, a pile of ruined scrap metal, only vaguely resembling the creature, lay in a ruined sparking heap.

"This is what was attacking?" Hana Len asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"It's just a piece of junk!" Her friend, Buttercup Bookem, agreed. "How could that be what was attacking us?"

"I'm not sure, but it was pretty effective," Bandana Dee added as he came out of his hiding place. His arm was bandaged, but a trace of blood could be seen through the white cloth.

The little spear baby, spotting her rescuer, immediately ran up and began hugging him. "Poyo!" she cooed happily.

The Waddle Dee, who wasn't much of a hugger, stiffened but didn't push the little Puffal away. "Huggy little guy, aren't you?" he commented, trying to do his best not to look uncomfortable.

"Actually, that one is a girl," a voice from behind added in. Everyone turned to see Meta Knight approaching the group. Eager to see their mentor, the little Puffals ran up to him to greet him.

"You can tell by the markings on her cheeks," the knight continued. "They are a light violet instead of pink. This marks her as a lady." He calmly surveyed the damage. "Now, what happened here?"

The kids hurried to explain everything that had occurred. "But we have no idea where it came from." Tiff said, finishing the explanation.

The knight surveyed the wreckage before speaking, though doing so quietly so that only a select few could hear him. "It was Dedede," he explained. "This was a plan of his to set up a moment of heroics of his own."

"It was Dedede!" Tiff crossed her arms. "I should've guessed. It's just like him to set up something like this for his own glorification."

"However, there is something else," Meta Knight added after a few moments. "This contraption, when it was first made, resembled the pile of scrap you see now. However, what you described from the young one's fight does not match either what we see here or what was first invented. I fear other forces are now at play."

Nearby, the little blue baby went back to following Bandana Dee around. He was flattered but a little unnerved by the attention. "You're welcome, but I have to get King Dedede home before he wakes up" he said, trying to get the little Puffal to leave him alone. "So go on home…um…" he looked up after a moment. "What is her name?"

"Actually," Ado answered, "she's the only one we don't have a name for yet. Since she likes you so much, why don't you name her?"

"Well, alright then," Bandana Dee stuttered. "How about Kirsti?"

"Like a female Kirby," Tiff said, a tone of disapproval in her voice. "It's not very creative."

However, little Kirsti seemed to disagree. "Kaastii! Poyo Kaastii!" she squealed happily.

"Well, I guess if you like it, that's what it is," Tiff said, giving a small smile.

"What is this I hear of names?" Meta Knight asked. They couldn't see it, but he was pleased to find that the little one had joined the group so easily.

Adeleine explained. "We didn't think that the babies should go nameless so we came up with names for them today. So the brown one is Sammy, the red one is Andy, the green one is Marty, the white one is Mikey, the purple one is Charlie, the yellow one is Toby, and the blue one, now, is Kirsti. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," the knight responded. "Those are fine names."

While this talk went on, Tiff picked up several of the discarded claws from the pile of rubble. She slipped them into her bag so she could examine them later.

"Children."

The young ones turned and realized that Meta Knight was speaking to them.

"I want to apologize for my behavior this afternoon," he said quietly. "I should not have responded with the harshness I did."

"It's alright," the Adeleine responded with a shrug.

"What was bad that freaked you out so much?" Lololo couldn't help but ask.

The Star Warrior closed his eyes momentarily, and when they opened, they were grass green. "I cannot give you a detailed response," he answered, "but be weary. If I am right, then there will be trouble coming very soon."

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From behind a corner, Marx grinned wickedly before rushing off towards the woods. Once within, he went up to an oddly bent tree. He touched a panel hidden in the bark, which caused a door to open up. The jester hurried into it, and closed the door behind him, cautious that no one saw him.

He then went up and activated a computer screen on the other side of the room. The face of a purple skinned humanoid filled the screen. "Marx!" the creature said, a tone of false excitement that was put on for all deals in his voice. "Glad to hear from you!"

"Hold the plaudits, Honest John," Marx scowled. He knew that the friendliness was a façade, and he had other business. "I have good news."

Honest John adjusted the thick sunglasses he always wore. "You do? What do you have to report?"

"Lord Nightmare's plan worked perfectly. Everything went just as planned. I was able to manipulate the idiot into getting his two morons to make a frame. It was pretty weak and flimsy, but the monster-making device made up for that." The jester grinned evilly. "It caused a lot of trouble for that pathetic town. In the end, Project Night-Terror was able to defeat it, but there's no surprise there. We're going to need a lot more firepower than just one monster to bring him down."

"This is good news," the NME crony said. "I shall be sure to tell the master as soon as possible. All hail the Nightmare."

"May his reign of terror last forever," Marx finished, before shutting off the communication.

Honest John turned around once the meeting had ended. "I assume you heard the good news, sir," he said to the dark cloaked figure behind him.

Nightmare gave a toothy grin. "Yes. Our time is coming fast. We now have a new way of creating monsters. All we need is a frame, and the possibilities are endless."

"And I think I know just the witch to make those frames," the lackey added. "I'll go to her soon and offer her a deal."

Nightmare's eyes flashed in wicked delight. He picked up the small chess figurine of Meta Knight. The Star Warrior would certainly begin to suspect something, but that was no matter. His student was nowhere near prepared for what was coming, and, skilled though he was, the knight was not strong enough to handle everything that was coming himself. Soon, this hated foe would fall, and then the reign of terror would start in earnest.

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That night, as she was preparing for bed, frustrated thoughts ran through Tiff's mind. Once again, they had been useless in helping Kirby. Thankfully, the littler Puffals were able to aid in defeating the creature, but everyone else had to run and hide.

She closed her eyes frustrated before tossing her bag on her bed. She was surprised by a clanking sound that came out of it. She opened her bag, finding several of the "creature's" spikes, which she had brought back to study, along with a pair of golden gauntlets.

_That's right_, she thought as she picked up the gloves. Kirby had given those to her earlier, and she had forgotten all about them. She lifted the bright gold hand armor up to examine them. There wasn't a speck of rust or damage on them. There were holes between each knuckle, as if made for someone who had claws which were to be fought with.

That gave her an idea. Quickly, the Dreamlander girl grabbed one of the claws. She tied a cord around it and pulled the cord through a spring. This she threaded into one of the openings of the gauntlet. She then pulled back and released.

The claw shot through, embedding itself into her bedroom wall. Tiff grinned to herself. She was certain that Meta Knight was right and that trouble would be coming soon. However, if this worked as planned, then next time a monster attacks, she would be able to help Kirby defend against the monsters.

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Like Tiff, Adeleine was also having trouble sleeping. She was pouring over the leather-bound journal that they had found in the ship. It was heavily locked, and she could figure out no way to get it opened.

"Hey, 'Leine, you coming up soon?" Ado asked. She had been leaving the hall light on, but she could only wait for so long.

"I'll be up in a while," her twin responded. "I'm just trying to figure out how to get this book opened."

"Really, that's all?" Ado asked. "I've got just the way."

"How?" Adeleine asked, hopeful but skeptical.

"We paint ourselves a skeleton key, of course," Ado responded with a laugh. She withdrew her pad and did just as she described.

"Thanks," her sister responded. "I guess I'm just too tired to think straight." Adeleine tested the key. It worked, and the heavy lock fell away.

The two artists looked inside to see what was written. In a simple but dignified hand were the words "The journal of Sir Heavy Knight, Officer in the Galactic Star Army, of the Order of Star Warriors."

"Whoa! A Star Warrior's journal!" Adeleine whispered, handing the book over to Ado to look at. "This is big! We'll have to tell the others about this."

"Uh," her twin responded after a few moments. "I think this is bigger." She handed Adeleine back the book, which she had opened to a particular page.

The artist's eyes practically popped out of her head when she saw what was drawn and the description beneath it. "Oh. My. Gosh," was all she could choke out.

To be continued…

_Author's note: So, once again we reach the end of an episode. I hope my readers have been enjoying the story so far. I have an announcement to make though. I plan on putting _Kirby! Dreamland Chronicles_ on a short hiatus. During the Christmas season, I am going to focus on putting out my crossover between _Kirby_ and _A Christmas Carol_. However, I do not plan on dropping Dreamland Chronicles. You can expect the next episode, "Little Miracle" Part One, on Christmas Eve. I hope to see you then!_

_P.S., I went with the Japanese names for the Cappy Kids because I hate the name "Spikehead". However, I do have one question for those who have heard it. Is Hohhe's name pronounced "HO-hhe," "Ho-HEE," or "Ho-HAI"?_


	8. Chapter 8: Little Miracle, Part One

_Yay! The time has come! The hiatus is over, and I have a new chapter to offer you!_

_By the way, I forgot to mention last chapter, but Kirsti's name has a bit of a backstory. There originally was going to be a part where all the characters swap genders, and Kirby was going to become a blue girl named Kirsti. I eventually scrapped that episode, but when the need came up for a girl Puffal, the name carried over._

_Storystosee: Yes, an evil cliffhanger. An eeeviiilll one. Hope you like what it builds up to, though. By the way, do you have a DeviantArt __account __by the same name that is full of Meta Knight pics? If so, I think I've seen it._

_xXSilent DreamerXx: Yes! I was wondering when someone was going to ask about Honest John. Yes, he is Customer Service. I changed his name because he doesn't play exactly the same role in _Dreamland Chronicles_ that he played in _Hoshi no Kaabii/Right Back At Ya._ While he is still Nightmare's main crony and middle man, he's not actually selling anything, so calling him the NME Salesman or Customer Service wouldn't really work. However, he still acts like a slippery con artist, so I chose the name Honest John from the Trope "Honest John's Dealership." If you look on the TV Tropes page of the same name, this character is the first listed under the Anime & Manga tab._

_As for Marx, he does indeed have an agenda. Everyone who works for Nightmare does. The only question is what does he want?_

_SilverWarriorWolf owns nothing. Nintendo, Hal Laboratory, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc own everything._

Episode eight: Little Miracle Part One

Peaceful dawn broke over Dreamland, bathing it in the bright glow of morning. Most of the countries inhabitants were still in bed at this early hour, enjoying the slow, easy pace at which the county typically ran.

Normally, Kirby would have been one such person in this group. His daily pattern of eat, sleep, and play was the very picture of the peaceful world that Dreamland offered. There was very little deviation from this schedule.

Though he was a Star Warrior, the little one knew very little of true war. He battled with the odd creatures that caused trouble every now and then, but these incidents as of late had been few and far between. Even the monster attack that happened the other day, though it had been scary, had been finished rather quickly. Thus, the easy pattern of his Dreamland life began again.

This morning, however, was somewhat different. Kirby had still not fully gotten used to the new sleeping arrangements. The biggest problem had been the window, which always allowed the light of the rising sun to penetrate into the boys' bedroom.

Kirby peered over his hammock's edge. Somehow, Tuff, Andy, Charlie, and Toby, with whom the young warrior shared a room, were able to sleep through the rising dawn. The little Puffal moved as quietly as he could to avoid waking up his roommates as he crept out of the bedroom.

Outside, the rest of the household told the same picture. Mikey, Marty, Sammy, and Kirsti lay asleep in the foldout bed in the living room. Tiff and her parents were probably still asleep as well, as the doors to their rooms remained shut.

Kirby stepped out onto the balcony and stared out into the bright morning. From the palace, all of Cappy Town and a good chunk of the countryside could be viewed with ease. All was completely quiet and peaceful.

The little one gave a small smile. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of his home, but right now, he wished there was something to do. Or, at the very least, someone else who was awake so that he wouldn't be all alone.

Just then, he spotted something off in the distance. Three dark shapes were moving off towards the forest. Kirby grinned brightly when he spotted the figures. Of course! Sir Meta Knight and his knaves always woke earlier than any of the other palace residents. They had to be heading out to the grove to train.

Eagerly, the young one puffed up and floated down to the ground before running to catch up to his mentor. He could have flown, but his flight was rather awkward and clumsy, so running was more convenient right now. If he hurried, Meta Knight might be willing to do some sparring, which would be much more fun than just staring at the horizon.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

(0 0)

Add a great big smile,

(0u0)

And Presto! It's Kirby!

"Ribbon!" The little fairy shot up at the sound of someone calling beneath her tree house. "Ribbon! Are you awake?"

She opened up her window to see what all the commotion was about. Directly beneath her house stood Ado and Adeleine. The artist twins looked as if neither of them had slept very well, with both of their hair unbrushed and Ado's beret about to fall off her head.

Ribbon rubbed her eyes, just barely awake herself. "Good morning, Adeleine. Good morning, Ado. What can I do for you?"

"How fast can you get the others," Adeleine asked. She was clutching something close to herself and had a tone of excitement in her voice.

"It depends on what others you mean." Ribbon calmly began tying in her namesake as she talked. "I can get to the palace pretty quickly, and Honey, Hohhe, and Iroo's houses are one the way. It'll take me a little while to find Rick, though, and I'm afraid I'll have a difficult time with Chuchu. Who do you want me to get?"

"Everyone you can," was Ado's quick response. "We have major news! We know where Kirby came from!"

The last bit of information knocked the fairy for a loop. No one knew where Kirby came from or why he came here. All that was known was that he was a young Star Warrior, and nothing really else. Sometimes, Ribbon suspected that Meta Knight knew more about the subject, but if he did, he was in no rush to share the information.

She flew out of her window and alighted next to the other girls. "What do you mean?" she asked, now too excited by the news. "Where did you find the info?"

The twins hurriedly explained what had happened the other day. Recalling about the ship, the scattered debris, the downloaded information, Meta Knight's odd reaction to said information, and the trouble with the monster flowed out nearly too fast for the listener to keep up. After a few moments, they finally came to their point.

"In all the chaos," Adeleine finished, "I had totally forgotten I had the journal still in my bag. When we got home, however, I started trying to get it open. Once we got it unlocked, however, Ado found this page!" She hurriedly flipped the journal open to an early page and showed it to Ribbon.

It had a sketched drawing of an infant Puffal, who seemed to be staring at the artist intently. Underneath, a caption highlighted the picture. _Miracle is growing quickly, though he is still quite small for his age. It is hard to believe that his christening is not that far away, and he'll bear a new name soon. After this day, he will truly be a member of the Star Warriors._

"See!" Ado exclaimed excitedly. "What little Puffals do we know who are Star Warriors?"

"You're right," Ribbon agreed. "I get the others together quickly. Where will we meet?"

"Let's meet at Rick's," Adeleine said after a moment of thought. "It's a good distance off and we won't be bothered by _certain people._" The way she said "certain people" made it clear she meant Dedede.

"Got it. See you soon!" With that, the fairy zipped off, excited to fulfill her role.

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Kirby rushed off as fast as his feet would carry him. He was still at the hilltop, so he could see the trio moving towards the forest. However, they were very close to their goal, and as soon as they entered the woods, he would lose sight of them.

"Medikni!" the toddler called out in desperation. "Swowed! Bwade! Wai' up!" He was too far away for them to hear, but he tried anyway.

Sadly, his attempts were not good enough. Within a few moments, the trio disappeared into the thick trees that marked the entrance to Whispy Woods.

The little Puffal sat glumly down on the grass. He'd lost them! He couldn't follow them if he couldn't see them. What was he going to do?

After a few moments of thought, he pushed himself up. He'd meet them in the practicing grove, that's what he'd do. They were probably headed there anyways, so all he would have to do is meet them there. Kirby grinned to himself. Meta Knight would be so surprised to see he had made it there without any help.

The little one hurried out into the woods and began trekking to where the thought the grove was located. However, after a few moments, he realized he had forgotten something. He had left the palace without any sort of breakfast! He had been in such a rush to catch up with the others he had completely forgotten to eat.

Now, however, it was getting harder to think of anything else. Indeed, whereas a few moments ago he could focus on finding the markings and trees that he knew led to where the grove was, know he could only think of the varieties of foods one has for breakfast.

When he was certain he could take it no longer, he looked up into the tree line and noticed that, a distance off, there were apple trees. They were a good distance off of the path, and were closer to the areas of the woods that Kirby was not familiar with. For a moment, Kirby wondered if he should stay on the path or go for the apples.

It wasn't a hard decision for the little one to make. Eagerly, Kirby ran off in the direction of the fruit trees. He could continue his quest after he had eaten several apples.

He reached the first of the apple trees in no time. He fell on the apple fervently, choosing the brightest, juiciest looking apples he could find, and swallowing them whole. They weren't quite as good as watermelons, but they were very delicious.

As he began settling down on the apples, he noticed something else nearby. The trees just beyond the apple trees were cherry trees! Why, he loved cherries as much as he did apples. Deciding that his breakfast could go on for a little longer, he rushed into the cherry trees as well.

Much to the little one's delight, this area seemed to be a plethora of various fruit trees. Jumping enthusiastically from one set of trees to another, the little one enjoyed a feast of fruit for his breakfast. However, he didn't notice as his movements caused him to get farther and farther away from the path.

It wasn't until he looked up from the branches of a lime tree he had been in when he realized he didn't recognize anything around him. He was lost!

This wasn't about to defeat the little warrior, however. He jumped out of the tree and began wandering around. Kirby was certain that he'd find something familiar around here if he looked hard enough. All he had to do was keep moving.

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Tiff focused closely on the small adjustments she had made with the gauntlet. It had already been designed with the idea of claws in mind, so at the very least she didn't have to adjust it for that purpose. However, it was likely that this had never been intended to launch the claws at the enemy, so it was a bit difficult to make sure that the projectiles went straight in the direction that they were supposed to instead of every which way.

She had set up several tunnel-like systems within the gauntlet for the projectiles to travel through as well as a wire system to launch and draw back the weapons once they were fired, but it was difficult to make these two structures work together properly instead of wrecking each other.

She was so focused on these adjustments that she jumped when a knock on her door sounded. "Tiffany, are you alright?" her mother asked. There was a questioning tone in her voice. "It's breakfast time."

Tiff hurried to push the gauntlet prototypes into her drawer and grabbed her scrunchy before opening the door. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mom," she answered as she worked to pull her hair into a ponytail. "I was just looking over a few things before coming down."

"Alright then." Lady Like gave a small quizzical smile, but didn't bother to question. Her daughter's technical hobbies usually had such complicated explanations that it wasn't worthwhile to ask about them. "You might want to hurry. The little Puffals are starting to wake up as well, and if Kirby is any indication, you're going to have to move fast."

As the girl rushed down to the table, she found that her mother's words were rather prophetic. Sure enough, the little ones were piling around the table, eagerly setting small mountains of fruit, toast, bagels, and a variety of other foods for themselves.

It was little Kirsti who first noticed the newcomer. "Poy poyo, Tiff," she said, waving cheerfully. She held up an orange to the Dreamlander girl. "Poyo?"

"Thanks." Tiff took the fruit and started to peel it. As she did so, something stood out to her. "Hey, where's Kirby? It's not like him to be late to a meal."

Tuff, who had gotten to the table earlier, paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. "Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing him when I woke up. He must have headed out early."

Tiff finished the orange and grabbed several pieces of fruit. "I'd better go see if I can find him. I'll eat as I go." With that, see turned to go out.

"Hey! We're coming too!" Tuff declared as he rushed to chase after his sister. The babies chattered in agreement as they ran out.

Tiff chuckled. She was not surprised to find herself followed by the younger children. "Alright then," she said as she grabbed her bag before heading out. "We'd better hurry, though. Kirby might be anywhere."

"You know," Sir Ebrum called from the table. "Sir Meta Knight always goes out to practice early in the morning. It's more than likely that Kirby went to join him."

"That's a good idea," Tiff responded. "We'll check with him first." With that, the children hurried out to find their friend.

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Ribbon rushed out as fast as she could. She had visited Rick first to make sure he was alright with his house being the meeting place. The friendly hamster assured her that that was perfectly fine, and that they were all welcome to come. Now that they had an assured meeting place, she went to gathering the other children together.

Honey and Iroo had both been at Hohhe's house, which made things a little easier. Likewise, she had found Lololo and Lalala running an errand. They had all eagerly agreed to the meeting place and said they were meet there.

She had been unable find Poppy, but she supposed he might be running a delivery for his father's store. He would have to be caught up with later.

Finally, the last stop would be the palace. There would be no doubt that the Ebrum children would want to know. Kirby would be there as well, and if anyone deserved to know what they were about discuss it would be him.

When she reached the palace, however, she found that the Ebrum sibling and Puffalings were already leaving. Furthermore, Kirby was not with them.

Toby excitedly waved his arms when he spotted the fairy. "Poy! Wib'in!" he called out as loudly as he could. "Poyo poy poyo poyo!"

Ribbon alighted down on the grass. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted between pants. She suddenly noticed how anxious the small group seemed. "Is everything alright?"

"Kirby didn't come to breakfast this morning," Tiff answered, "So we're going to look for him. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"No, I haven't," the fairy responded. "I'll help you look." Suddenly, she remembered why she had come. "Where do you suppose he-"

"What's a bird gotta do to get a little quiet!?" a rude voice called out, interrupting Ribbon as she spoke. The kids looked up to see Tokkori. He scowled at the kids. "Get a move on it already! Nobody want to hear you ramble on outside when it so early in the morning!"

"Uncle Tokkori!" another voice scolded. "Mind your manners!" Pitch hopped out, clear disapproval stamped on the younger bird's features. "They're just concerned about their missing friend. Have a little empathy."

Tokkori grumbled as he reentered his nest.

Pitch took the opportunity to fly down, joining the children on the ground. "My apologies for my uncle's bad manners."

"Don't worry about it," Tiff responded, shaking her head. "We're already well aware of what Tokkori is like. By the way, this is our friend, Ribbon. Ribbon, this is Pitch, Tokkori's nephew."

"Pleased to meet you," Ribbon said as she shook Pitch's wing.

"Likewise, I'm sure," the young bird responded. "You're looking for Kirby, right?" When the affirmative was answered, he continued. "I saw him this morning. He left out for the woods, about fifteen minutes after Sir Meta Knight and those two fellows who follow him went out to the same area. I called out good morning, but he seemed to be focusing on catching up, so I didn't bother him further. If you would like, I can fly out to that area and make certain that he caught up."

"Would you?" Tiff could have hugged Pitch right then and there. "Oh, thank you. We'll follow close behind, so just call us if you spot him."

Pitch threw a quick salute. "Yes, ma'am." With that, he took to the air. Once he was airborne, the kids took off running after him.

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Kirby wandered around the forest, looking for anything to signal to him where the practice grove, or at least an exit, might be. However, he had been wandering around for so long that by now, he was fully and thoroughly lost.

The little warrior was growing more and more distressed with every passing moment. He was lost, and had no idea how he was going to get home. That's when the idea struck him. Of course! He could fly. That way, at the very least, he could try to get a bird's eye view of the territory.

He took a deep breath and began ascending. His flight was rather clumsy and limited, but at least he could move up and down rather smoothly.

Or at least, it was rather smooth when he wasn't bumping into others. Kirby had been focusing so much on searching for a path out of the woods that he hadn't noticed that he had accidentally floated right into the path of a bird, who collided with the little Puffal.

This startled Kirby into releasing his breath and tumbling to the ground. "Poyo," he mumbled quietly as he pushed himself back up. He looked up to see what had hit him.

Much to his surprise, it was his friend, Coo the owl. Coo, who was a good deal larger than the young one, had not been knocked askew too badly. He circled back to make sure that Kirby was alright. He landed near where the Puffal had fallen and helped him back up. "Are you alright? No injuries?"

"No," Kirby responded, smiling brightly. He was just relieved to see a familiar face. "Kaabii 'kay!"

Coo smiled, pleased that his young friend was alright. "Well, that's very good to hear. Now, aren't you far away from home? I don't believe I have ever seen you this far out into Whispy Woods. Is everything alright?"

Kirby nodded. "I's goin' wi' Medikni, Swowed, an' Bwade, then they los'," Kirby explained. "Coo know whe' Medikni is?"

The owl chuckled at the child's simplistic explanation. "No, I haven't personally seen him this morning, but if he and his knaves are in Whispy Woods, then I have a good idea where they'll be." He extended his wing, motioning to Kirby to climb on. "It's easier to get to the grove by air. Climb on, I'll fly you there."

The young Star Warrior smiled as he climbed on. "Thank yoo," he squeaked. "I twy ta fwy, but not goo' eno' yet."

"Don't worry about that," Coo responded. "You are still young. Flying will become easier as you grow. Now, hold tight." With that, the owl took to the sky.

Kirby held his breath as the two soared over the woods. "Ahh!" The squire couldn't restrain a coo of delight and amazement. He loved flying, especially when he was with an experience flyer. Dreamland was so beautiful from the sky, and seeing it all dash underneath him as they flew along was astonishing.

Soon, the duo reached the parts of Whispy Woods that Kirby could recognize, even from above. Familiar trees, streams, and flowers replaced the thick woods of the last few acres of woods. The little one eagerly waved when he spotted the ruler and namesake of the forest. Though they had fought once or twice before, the tree had been quick to make amends when the situation was cleared up. Whispy returned the wave as Coo and Kirby passed by.

It wasn't much longer before they reached the grove that was their destination. Sure enough, Meta Knight and his two servants were practicing there. Or, more accurately, Sword and Blade were practicing. Meta Knight stood nearby, over-viewing their work.

Coo settled down near where the veteran stood. Meta Knight started slightly, as if he had been shaken from deep thought, before turning to the owl.

"Ah, Coo. It is good to see you my friend," he greeted, genuinely happy. "What is to thank for this visit?"

"A delivery," Coo answered. He extended a wing to allow Kirby to crawl on to the ground. "Little fellow attempted to follow you this morning. Afraid he wandered off the path and ended up in one of the denser parts of the woods. Thought I'd bring him over here and make sure he got to you safely."

Kirby was now enthusiastically ran up to Meta Knight. "I wen' in t'e fo'st ta fin' ya, bu' I got hung'y an' got some fwuit, but then I got los' an' Coo foun' me an' we fwew he'e!" he chattered excitedly.

The elder Puffal smiled at his student's animated explanation. He tried to mask his amusement as he addressed the youngster. "You shouldn't have wandered off on your own," he said in a calm voice. "If something had happened to you, there wouldn't be anyone to aid you." Kirby looked crestfallen for a moment, but the knight went on. "Just remember that for the future. I suppose there was no harm done, so don't worry about today. Right now, go join Sword and Blade. I'll be with you in a moment."

Kirby smiled brightly. "Poyo-kay!" He dashed over to where the two older students were already practice sparring.

As so as he was gone, Coo placed a wing on the older warrior's shoulder. "There's something else you should know." His tone was much graver than it had been a few moments ago.

Meta Knight picked up on the change in attitude. "What is it, my friend? What is wrong?"

The owl looked around a bit before answering. "Something's happening in the denser wooded area. You are aware that _The Excalibur _has unearthed itself, am I right?" When the affirmative was given, he continued. "I know I don't have to tell you what that means. Furthermore, I think whatever he has sent has set up in the Woods."

The knight's eyes turned bright green. "How could that be? Would Whispy not have noticed if something that had been touched by Nightmare's taint had come into his forest?"

"Not if the taint is not very strong." Coo touched the bottom of his beak thoughtfully. "If somehow Nightmare figured out a way to send in a servant of his with as little of his power as possible, it is likely that that servant could work discretely and without notice. I suspect that, if my theory is correct, than they would also be responsible for yesterday's monster problem."

Meta Knight turned for a moment. "This is grave news indeed. I will be certain to keep watch in the palace and towns."

"As I will in the forest," the Coo responded, giving the knight a rather formal bow. "Good luck, and I hope all turns out well with young Kirby."

"Thank you for bringing him here." The Star Warrior responded, returning the bow. "I will inform you as soon as more information arises. _Donec tenebras perit_."

"_Donec tenebras perit_," the owl returned before flying off.

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Pitch chuckled at the sight of little Kirby attempting to wield Blade's basket-hilt broadsword without inhaling it. The weapon was several times longer than the Puffal was tall, so his attempts at using it to spar, rather than the short sword that he gained with his sword ability, were rather comical.

The young bird then wheeled around to find his ground-bound companions. "It's alright!" He called down when he had found them. "He's made it to Meta Knight and is training right now."

A shudder of relief seemed to pass through the small group, especially with Tiff and Ribbon. "Thank you for your help," Ribbon said, flying up to the bird.

"Glad to be of assistance," he responded. "Is there anything else I can help with?"

"Not at the moment, thanks," Tiff answered.

"Well, then, I have some errands to do myself." He waved quickly before flying off. "Have a nice day!"

"Thanks, you too!" Ribbon turned back. "So what shall we do now?"

"Well, it's probably best to just leave things be," Tiff answered after a few moments. "Kirby tends to get distracted from his training when there are viewers."

The mention of training reminded Ribbon of why she had been going to find her friends in the first play. "Oh!" She declared when it came back to her. "I had almost completely forgot!"

"Poyo poy?" Charlie asked, tilting his head questioningly.

"I have major news. Yesterday, Ado and Adeleine had found some sort of journal in the Star Warrior ship. When they got it opened, they found out there was picture of Kirby inside!"

"Of Kirby?" Tuff asked. "That thing was ancient! How could it give information about Kirby?"

"It would explain why the ship reacted to Kirby when it wouldn't do anything for anyone else," Tiff said, thinking through the odd situation. "Did they discover anything else?"

"The hand writing is rather old," Ribbon explained. "They've spent most of the time trying to reconstruct the language to the best of their ability. Thankfully it's written in the common language rather than the odd one we found the other day, so we can read what's been reconstructed. I was coming to tell you that we were going to examine it further at Rick's place."

"What are we waiting for then?" Tuff asked. "Let's head there right now!" He threw a grin to the little yellow baby. "Hey Toby, race ya!"

Toby returned the cocky grin. "Poyo poy poyo, Tuff!" he declared, before tearing off.

Rick's den, a comfortable little cave set up not unalike a little cottage, was rather cramped at the moment. Along with the friends Ribbon had gathered together, Rick, as soon as he knew about the situation, had gathered together several of their other friends.

"I hope they'll be here soon," Adeleine said, looking out the window intently.

"I wouldn't worry about it," their friend, Kine the Sunfish, said in his usual laid-back fashion. He poked his head over the rim of the bowl he and Chuchu currently occupied. "Tiff and Tuff wouldn't miss this for the world." His words soon rang true as the sound of the front door opening and closing signaled the arrival of the last members of the group.

"We're here!" Ribbon called out as she, the Ebrums, and the clutch of Puffal pups ran in. "You haven't started yet, have you?"

"Not yet," Adeleine responded. "Ado's just restoring several more pages. They're really old, so we might have to restore as we read."

"I'm coming!" Ado rushed back with the book, her inking pen still in hand. "Let's get started!" With this, Adeleine, who was the best public reader set to begin reading. Nearby, Ado prepared her pen so that she could restore the text when need be.

Adeleine cleared her throat and began reading. "'Star date 1679, Journal entry number one. Things have suddenly taken a very interesting turn. It started when Sir Arthur asked me to make what I thought was just going to be a routine supply mission.'"

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_Sir Heavy Knight looked out the front window of the small scouting ship to the planet below. Popopo. The infamy of the planet's wildlife was well known around the universe. The sapient inhabitants were not much better. Though not hostile, par say, Inhaler Puffals lived such dangerous lives that they were extremely cautious and suspicious of outsiders. As a result, it was best for those Star Warriors who did go to the planet to do their best to avoid populated areas._

_As luck would have it, the Boxin's mission did not require him to approach any populated territories. The mess stores were currently low on Pep Berries, so he was going out to gather some. These fruit, which were extremely high in nutrition, were vital in the preparation of Pep Brew, a practical staple of the Star Warrior's rations. While he was out there, he would also keep a close eye out for Spear Grass, which was good for making arrows._

_For the most part, the mission went by uneventfully. There was the occasional arrival of a Bugzzy or Scarfy, but those were easily dealt with. Indeed, it appeared that there would be no incident on this outing whatsoever._

_He had gathered the berries first, as they were closer, and had then gone to collect the spear grass. It took a little longer to gather this, because the sharp points and edges of the plant made wearing armor necessary. When he had nearly finished with that task, a flash of color caught his eye._

_It was a small orb, which Heavy Knight took to be a berry. It was a color he had not seen around before, but he didn't think twice before adding to the bag of other berries. With that, he straightened up and headed back to the ship._

_When he had almost arrived, however, a creature attacked him. It was a long, sleek black creature. It had ambushed him from above, throwing itself heavily against him. This was bigger than most of the creatures that he typically faced on Popopo were, so the struggle was a little longer. However, he succeeded in killing the beast, and for the first time got a good look at the creature._

_It was a creature who's name Heavy Knight couldn't pronounce, but he knew that the name translated to "egg thief." Egg thieves were valuable for their pelts, but were difficult to find, and never attacked to kill because their diet consisted mostly of the eggs of other creatures. It was odd that this one had been so aggressive._

_When he had gotten back to the main ship of the Star Warrior fleet, Heavy Knight discussed this with his friend, Sir Galahad._

_Galahad was a Puffal as well, but not an Inhaler. He, like all of the Puffals that included themselves in the ranks of the Star Warriors, was of a sub-branch known as Star-Jumpers, who did not have the ability to inhale or copy. Star-Jumpers had been the group that founded the Star Warriors, and they were typically much friendlier than Inhaler Puffals._

_Galahad, in particular, had an interest in other species, and had done a lot of study into the behavior of the wildlife on various planets. "That is a strange story," he said as the duo walked from the armory, where the spear grass had been left, to the mess hall. "Egg thieves tend to stay away from all adult creatures whenever possible. Even to Inhaler Puffals, they are only really dangerous to eggs and recently hatched pups. They have been known to get vindictive, however, and tend to obsess over a single target of prey that has been alluding them. You didn't happen to notice any Inhaler nests nearby, did you?"_

_ "__Heavens, no," Heavy Knight laughed. "I'd rather not end up having to face a tribe of aggressive parents who have copied who knows what." He took off his helmet, revealing a face that vaguely resembled a grey pit bull. "Rosalyn wouldn't forgive me if she had to mend my armor so soon after the mud-pot incident."_

_The Puffal laughed in response. "Yes, that did get rather out of hand, didn't it? I had hoped that we would have been able to get a closer look at the heat-loving creatures."_

_ "__I know I got a closer look than I ever wanted, or will ever want again." The Boxin playfully pushed his friend. "Next time you go sample collecting, ask someone else to help."_

_By now, the duo had reached the mess hall. A young female Puffal who stood at the supply stand greeted them. "Good afternoon, Sir Heavy Knight. Sir Galahad. Do you have anything for the supply room?" Heavy Knight handed her the bag and then proceeded to head back. However, before they had left, she called them back. "Uh, sir," she called, respectful but rather nervous, "I can't take this."_

_ "__Why not?" the Boxin asked before taking back the bag. As he looked into it, he realized the problem. By mistake, he had brought the bag of spear grass. That meant that the Pep Berries must still be back at the armory._

_Sir Galahad had somewhere else to be, so the two of them said goodbye and parted ways. Heavy Knight continued into the armory and quickly took back the bag containing the Pep Berries and leaving the one with the spear grass. However, the berry bag was far too light, almost as if there was nothing in it._

_He opened it up and discovered that, indeed, there was next to nothing in it. There were no berries, anyway. All that the simple canvas bag contained was what appeared to be pieces of eggshell. Something had hatched, and now, whatever had hatched was loose in the armory._

_The Boxin prepared himself for what he would face. A good deal of the wildlife of Popopo was dangerous from birth, so he had to be prepared for anything. For all he knew, the creature that was loose would attack, be it with teeth or claws or some other attack. He thanked his lucky stars that it wouldn't be a Wolfwrath. Those were killer from day one, even to experienced fighters. He was not, however, prepared for what he saw._

_The newborn lay, cuddled close to a mannequin in the shape of a Puffal, which would be used to design the armor for the Puffal warriors. It was Puffal pup, a newly hatched male. Furthermore, it was clear, that this was an Inhaler pup._

_Heavy Knight picked up the sleeping infant as gently as he could. He'd have to tell Sir Arthur about the little one right away._

To be continued…

_Author's Note: Hi! Not as much a comment on something as a statement, but I did not make up Heavy Knight or Boxins. They come from _Amazing Mirror _and_ Squeak Squad._ I know that there are some who already know, but I bring this up because I have not seen them in any other fanfic on this site. If you don't believe me, just look at the Kirby Wiki._


	9. Chapter 9: Little Miracle, Part Two

_Storystosee: Latin. The language of mysteriousness. I was wondering if anyone would try to look up what it meant, and you got it right! I like your account by the way. The world needs more places to view Meta Knight's awesomeness. _

_Hope you enjoy where the story goes!_

_I own nothing of the Kirby franchise. Everything is owned by Nintendo, Hal Laboratory, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc._

Episode Nine: Little Miracle, Part Two

"You are doing well, but you must keep a close watch on both your opponents," Meta Knight called. "It is a difficult feat, but one that must be mastered if one is going to be facing opponents who have no honor."

Kirby was currently doing sparring practice; facing Sword and Blade at once. All three were wielding simple wooden swords for the practice. Meta Knight was watching from the side, observing his students' techniques and making certain that enthusiasm didn't take things too far.

"Poyo!" Kirby exclaimed excitedly. He charged forwards and to the side, dodging a thrust by Sword. Blade took the young one's distraction as an opportunity to attempt to catch him from the side. The little one caught his blow, and after deftly knocking it aside responded in kind. However, this gave Sword an opening, and the soldier landed a quick but light blow to the young Puffal's side. That signaled that the match was over.

Kirby looked down as he approached his teacher. He bowed respectfully. "I was'n wooking, so I loss," he said simply. He tried to sound emotionless as he gave the report on his progress, but the disappointment was clear in his voice.

Meta Knight gave his apprentice a small smile, before comfortingly patting him on the head. "You did well, especially considering you were doing so without using your copy ability. As I said earlier, keeping track of two opponents at once is an incredibly difficult task. The fact that you could hold your own, even for a comparatively short amount of time, shows great progress in your abilities. This will come easier with practice. Well done."

The child looked up, surprised but delighted by the praise. He practiced as hard as he could to be able to handle his opponents through multiple situations. The most difficult ones were the ones where he couldn't use his copy ability, but those were also the ones that he was the proudest of. Even though he didn't win every match, even the simple praise that he was progressing well was enough to bolster the youngster's spirits.

Meta Knight looked up, observing the now brighter sky. "It is getting to be almost noontime now," he said after a few moments. "We had best begin to head back to the palace. Sword, Blade, please, make certain that all the equipment is put away properly. Once you are finished, we will begin our trip back."

"Yes, sir." Both soldier saluted and began their work.

"Kaabii help!" the youngster added before joining the elder students in their work.

The knight smiled, amused by the young one's actions. The child was always eager to please and learn which made training him rather easy. Indeed, the only problem with training that Kirby had posed was how to keep him focused and in one place for an extended period of time. This was especially bad in the summer, when the butterflies that Kirby so loved offered a plethora of distractions.

The work was finished rather quickly and the four progress through the forest on their way back to the castle. Meta Knight kept a wary eye out on their surroundings, as Coo's words were still clear in his mind. _Whatever he has sent has set up in the woods. _That would make things more difficult. He kept Galaxia close at hand. Certainly, if they were in any danger, the ancient sword would be needed.

They were arriving at the baseline of the forest when a clear voice called out. "Hey, Kirby! There you are!" The small group looked to see Phan-Phan approaching quickly.

The young elephant-like creature caught up to them by the woods. "There you are, Kirby!" he said. "I was worried that everyone just left and forgot about me."

"Poyo, w'at mean?" the young one asked his friend.

"I mean, I went to see if anyone wanted to come out to play, and nobody was at any of their homes. I checked the palace, and the dig site, and the kickball field, and nothing! It's like everyone just vanished. You wouldn't happen to know where they are, would you?"

Kirby thought for a moment before sadly shaking his head. "Don' know. Sowwy."

"You may wish to check with Rick," Meta Knight added. "Sometimes when there is something that cannot be discussed in the presence of Dedede, the others will go to Rick's home to discuss in private. You are welcome to check there."

"I hadn't thought of that," Phan-Phan said when the knight had finished. "I'll go check there next. You want to come, Kirby?"

Kirby looked over at his mentor for approval. Meta Knight nodded. "Yes, you may go. Your lessons are finished for today. Just be certain not to wander away again."

"Yes, sah!" Kirby declared happily before jumping onto Phan-Phan's head. "I be ce'tin!" With that, the two youngsters headed off after their friends.

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_A small group of warriors stood around the little incubation chamber. Within, the little pup lay, sleeping peacefully. Indeed, it would have been a rather idyllic scene, if it weren't for all the mysteries surrounding the little one's appearance._

_ "__You are quite certain that you were nowhere near a colony establishment?" Sir Arthur asked once more. "That at least might mean he has a pack to go back to."_

_Sir Galahad spoke first. "It doesn't matter. Inhalers are incredibly pack-oriented and protective of eggs. If the child still had a family, then Heavy Knight would not have been able to take his egg for the sheer amount of Inhalers scouring the area. There is no doubt this child is an orphan, and the odds are that he is a pack-less orphan."_

_Rosalyn, Heavy Knight's wife and a famed Star Warrior in her own right, reached into the little chamber and stroked the baby's cheek. "Poor little thing. Lost your family before you were even born and then hatched among strangers. You've had a rough life, haven't you?"_

_ "__Indeed," Sir Percival, one of Sir Arthur's primary advisers, added. "It seems that this little boy's survival is in and of itself a miracle."_

_ "__The question still remains," another council member, Sir Lancelot, continued, "what is to be done with him? Just leaving him is certainly out of the question. He is far too young to fend for himself."_

_ "__That is true," Heavy Knight commented. "It is also unlikely that we will find a separate pack who will be willing to take him. They are suspicious of any outside intervention, and probably won't take kindly to being told to take an infant. There is also the risk of giving him to a slaving pack if we would attempt that route."_

_ "__Then there seems to be just one option." Rosalyn opened the chamber and took the sleeping infant into her arms. "He'll have to stay here, and he'll come with us."_

_Arthur smiled and several of the others chuckled. It was common knowledge that Rosalyn and Heavy Knight had been trying for a child. The sudden appearance of an orphan would definitely be a Godsend._

_ "__Poyo?" The baby, awakened by the movement, shot up at the sound of strange voices. Light blue eyes scanned his surroundings. Suddenly, with a cry of "Poyo!" he squirmed free of the Boxin lady's arms and dashed out of the room, much to the surprise of the adults._

_The adults ran after him, shocked by the little one's speed. When they had caught up, the child had already made it to the armory and was clinging tightly to the mannequin he had been found by. He looked up briefly before pressing his face into the stuffed dummy. "Poyo," he squeaked once more._

_ "__Fascinating," Galahad murmured. "It appears that young Inhalers imprint just after hatching. He genuinely thinks that model is his mother."_

_ "__Well then," Heavy Knight laughed as he and Rosalyn each took a side of the mannequin, "I suppose we'll be taking this as well."_

_It had taken a while for the couple to make certain that the little one would be happy in his new home, but once he was certain that his "mother" wouldn't be taken away, the baby had settled down to sleep._

_Heavy Knight chuckled. "Funny little one, isn't he? We'll have to come up with a name for him soon."_

_His wife smiled calmly. She had taken the sleeping infant up in her arms, and was rocking him gently. "His christening is a good ways off. Until that day, he will be our Miracle."_

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A knocking at the door startled the group out of the story. "Hello!" a voice called in. "Is anyone home?"

"Heh-whoa!" another voice, clearly Kirby's, chimed in. "Come ta pway?"

Rick opened the door, and Kirby eagerly rushed in. Outside, Phan-Phan, who was rather too large to make it through the smaller door frame leaned in. "Hi, Rick," the young elephant-like creature greeted. "Kirby and I are going out to the beach to play. Would you like to come and join us?"

Rick was about to answer when an overexcited Kirby rushed back. "Kaabii find t'em, poyo! T'ey all back in da odder 'oom." He pointed a little pink paw back at the doorway he had ran through.

Rick turned a confused look to Phan-Phan, who explained. "We were having some trouble finding some of the others. We had also hoped that you might know where everyone had gotten to."

"T'ey all hew!" the pink Puffal, repeated clearly proud of himself. "Now we go ta beach!"

"Poyo," a voice peeped through the door. Peering through the doorway was Charlie, with several of the other little ones behind him. As he recognized his elder brother, the little purple Puffaling grew excited. "Poyo, Kaabii! Hi, Kaabii!" Excitedly, the little ones rushed out to greet their brother.

Kirby beamed, happily returning the greeting. "Hi! Go'na go ta beach! Wan'na come?"

The younger Puffals happily chattered before rushing out the open door. Honestly, they had grown bored with the story, so the sudden excitement of a trip to the beach was a welcome opportunity.

"Well, it looks like the little tykes will head out with you," Rick answered once he was finally able to get a word in, "but the rest of us are reading something that looks like it could be important. Would you like to join us? I can set up something by the window.

Phan-Phan looked in at the already rather cramped setting. "That's okay. You can tell me about it later."

"Sorry about that, mate," Rick said with a shrug. "Perhaps next time?"

"Alright then," Phan-Phan said. He turned to go, moving slowly so as not to step on the multiple dancing puffers. "Maybe next time. See you later." This was followed by a chorus of "bye" as the group headed off.

Once they waved goodbye, the group headed out in the direction of the beach. Kirby couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that there weren't more who decided to come. After all, these outings were always more fun when everyone came. Oh, well. At least the babies decided to come. Being brand new to Dreamland, they had never been to the shoreline before. There would be so much for him to show and teach them about.

Eagerly, he rushed off, followed closely by several of his little brothers. Trailing behind was Phan-Phan, who was carrying Kirsti, Charlie, and Mikey. "H'wee, kwick!" the little Puffal called to his companions. "We a'mos' dere, Poyo!"

He reached the tide line first, dashing into the ocean spray. Kirby enjoyed the feeling of the waves lapping around his feet. "Com'n!" he called, excitement in his voice. "Watta fun!"

Toby was the first to catch up, as usual. He jumped into the water with an overjoyed "Poyo!" The other Puffals followed close and soon were splashing about, exited by the new experience. Phan-Phan caught up soon afterwards and let out a spray of water. The little sibling squealed in delight, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Yes, this was looking to be a very good day.

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Now that the readers were on their own again, Rick settled back down in his place. It was a little more comfortable now that the variety of antsy baby Puffals were no longer a part of the issue. "So, where did we leave off again?" the hamster asked once everyone was ready."

"We just found out about the adoption," Chuchu answered. "What happens next, 'Leine?"

Ado responded for her twin. "This book's pretty damaged, and some of the entries were beyond restoration. It looks like the next passage we can read takes place a while after the last passage, though I'm not quite certain how long."

"Let's start and see where it goes," Lololo said. "It probably won't be too long after the last one."

"That sounds about right," Adeleine laughed. She adjusted the large book so she could read comfortably while Ado restored. "Oh, boy, this one looks good. 'Journal entry number 25. We joined the others on Pop Star today. I-'"

"This must be when that ship arrived!" Tuff cried out all of a sudden.

"Actually, this journal goes on for a while after this entry," Ado said.

"Please don't interrupt, Tuff," Tiff said, embarrassed by her brother's outburst. "It's incredibly rude."

The boy shrugged. "Sorry."

Adeleine picked back up where she left off. "'I am always amazed how the inhabitants of this world never notice our little visits. I guess that's what happens when you don't pay any attention to what is happening beyond your world.

"'In other news, it looks like young Miracle has a new friend.'"

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_Miracle clung closely to Rosalyn. Ever since his imprinting had worn off, he had been somewhat clingy, especially in new circumstance. So it was not unexpected that he would hold close to his mother when they were going to a new world entirely._

_This was Miracle's first experience off of the main ship in the Star Warrior fleet. The little one was excited by the energetic atmosphere that always accompanied a landing party. However, as they grew nearer and nearer to the planet's surface, he grew uncomfortable with the strange new atmosphere. Now that they were on the ground, he had no intention of stepping foot on the weird green stuff that was everywhere. This, of course, meant that he was immediately set down as they exited._

_ "__Poyo!" he cried out, following his parents close behind. He had no plans to be left behind in this bizarre place, so he was careful to keep close. _

_Heavy Knight was already talking with Galahad and Percival. The Star Jumpers had been on the world a little longer, observing everything that had happened. Nothing much of interest had, other than the forming of a small village by several Cappy farmers. Nothing much really happened on Pop Star, though a watch was kept on it, just in case something happened._

_Miracle clung to Rosalyn's hand while the grown-ups talked. They were discussing the village formation and a little small talk. This sort of thing bored the Puffal, so he instead he stared with a nervous but amazed energy at the surroundings. This place was a wooded area, selected because the Dreamland natives weren't fond of entering it. Large trees clustered around, giving the area a kind of spooky feel. Nothing inclined the little one to want to explore the planet further._

_However, something did catch his attention. "Ribbet." Miracle jumped at the sound. Something had croaked at him! He was certain of it. He looked around, searching for the creature who had made the sound._

_It didn't take long. There, five feet away and sitting on the stump of a fallen tree, was a big green frog. The frog looked on with a complete lack of interest. "Ribbet," it croaked again._

_This interested the baby Puffal. He immediately let go of his mother's hand and dashed over to get a closer look at the strange thing. He stared at the frog intently. "Poyo," he said, trying to get a response._

_The frog took the bait. "Ribbet."_

_ "__Poyo."_

_ "__Ribbet."_

_ "__Poyo."_

_ "__Ribbet."_

_ "__Poyo."_

_ "__Ribbet."_

_ "__Hi!"_

_ "__Poyo!" Miracle cried out. That last cry had startled both him and the frog, which hurriedly hopped away. The baby Puffal reached out for the creature, but it was already gone by now. Instead, he turned angrily to the creature that had scared them._

_It was a young mouse, seated casually on the stump, who looked to be a little older than Miracle. He had a big grin plastered on his face. "Hi! My name's Gonfflen. What's your name?"_

_ "__Poyo!" Miracle cried out, annoyed with his new companion. "Poyo, poy poyo poyo!"_

_ "__That all you can say, huh?" the mouse asked, tilting his head. "Alright then, I'll call you Poyo. Are you being a good baby, Poyo?"_

_Miracle was rather annoyed by the mouse, and was prepared to tell him so. However, they were interrupted. "Gonfflen! There you are, you little rogue."_

_Both youngsters looked up to see that the adults were approaching them. It had been Sir Galahad who had spoken._

_The mouse jumped off threw a quick salute. "Ready and waiting, sir!"_

_Galahad nodded, smiling at the enthusiastic child. "At ease. I see you met young Miracle. Once you are both christened you will trained together. These are his parents, Sir Heavy Knight and Lady Rosalyn."_

_Gonfflen pulled a clumsy bow. "Pleased to meet you, Sir, Lady."_

_"__As are we," Heavy Knight responded as he and his wife returned the greeting._

_The Star Jumper nodded to the young one. "Well done. Now, why don't you show Miracle around? Just be certain to come back before afternoon drills._

_The child grinned brightly and threw a small salute. "Yes, sir!" He then turned and grabbed Miracle by the paw. "Come on, Poyo, there's a lot to see!"_

_The baby Puffal started, surprised by his rather unrestrained companion. "Poyo? Poyo!"_

_When the children had gone off, Galahad turned back to the two Boxins. "That little fellow is my new apprentice. Found him a few weeks ago while on patrol in Mustellus. Young one almost succeeded in catching me off guard."_

_"__An impressive feat," Rosalyn laughed. He face grew serious after this comment. "I suppose he is an orphan, then."_

_The Puffal warrior nodded. "Gonfflen doesn't talk about his past, but that much I do know. This isn't the only incident either. Many planets seem to be getting high amounts of trouble. Something bad is going on. I'm certain of it. We'll just need to stay observant."_

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It was well past three o'clock when the revelers decided to end their play. Soaking wet and still laughing, the young one sat out in the grass to dry off. A slight breeze mixed with the warm sunlight made the young ones rather drowsy. Phan-Phan dozed off first, and was soon followed by most of the Puffals. In a few moment, only Sammy sat awake, staring up into the clouds.

He soon was shaking Kirby awake, however. The elder Puffal blinked in confusion for a few moments. "Poyo, Saami?" he asked. "Poyo, w'at wong?"

The little brown Puffal held out his paw, clearly in a sort of panic. He shook it, as if trying to get something off of it. It took Kirby a moment to calm his younger brother down enough to get a look at what he was panicking about. When he could see, however, the young warrior laughed.

Resting on the little one's paw was a bright red lady bug. It was moving about lazily, as if it was completely unaware of the fact that its host had no desire for its presence.

Kirby carefully took the lady bug and held it himself. "T'is wady bug," he said, holding his own paw so that Sammy could get a good look at it without having to touch it. "It no hu't, see?"

Sammy stared in amazement as the tiny creature crawled up and down his elder brother's paw. It moved slowly and lazily, examining as it went. Finally, as if it had grown bored with the duo, it popped out its wings and flew off.

"Bye-bye, wady bug," Kirby said as it flew away. He then turned back to the littler one. "See, no got hu't. Wady bug nice!"

Intrigued by the last lesson, Sammy looked around the little field for something else to examine. Kirby leaned back against Phan-Phan and kept an eye on the little Puffal. It was rather exciting to be the older child and do the explaining for once.

Sammy returned a moment later, cupping something in his paws. He was handling differently, however, as if he was having a difficult time holding on to this catch. Once he reached Kirby, he held his paws up questioningly, as if asking what this was.

Inside the cupped paws was a little black ant. It scurried around in a panicked frenzy, doing its best to get away from its captor.

Kirby grinned when his saw his brother's catch. "T'at an ant!" he said. "T'ey very ha'd to catch an' hold."

As if it had been waiting for that phrase as a cue, the little insect finally succeeded at getting out of the Puffaling's paws and scurried away.

After it had escaped, Sammy tried to catch it again. However, it was too late and the ant had already dashed away into the grass.

Kirby smiled and patted his brother's back. "Don' wowwy. He jus' goin' home. We find 'notha one latah, poyo."

Sammy looked up at his brother and smiled. He then turned to examine grass for another ant but was soon distracted by something else overhead.

By now, Andy and Toby had also awoken from their midday nap. They looked curiously over at what Kirby and Sammy were doing before going over to join them. Andy tugged on his elder brother's paw. "Poyo?" he asked, staring intently at the squire.

Kirby grinned, eager to bring more of his siblings in to the lesson. "Us is lookin' fo' bugs. You wan'na help?"

"Poyo!" both younger ones exclaimed.

The pink Puffal beamed. He was thoroughly excited about this time spent with his younger siblings. He turned to call out for Sammy to join them when he saw the younger Puffal trying to catch a bee.

"No, Saami!" he called out. "T'at a bee! T'ey sting!"

The brown Puffaling looked up, confused by his brother's outcry. He looked back and tilted his head inquisitively.

Kirby walked over, Andy and Toby close behind, and took his little brother's paw. He poked Sammy's arm lightly before repeating, "T'ey sting! Stings hu't!"

The three little ones stared up at him, not exactly understanding but willing to listen. Kirby looked around for something safe to call attention to. Suddenly, the perfect distraction appeared.

"Look!" he called out delightedly. "Buddafwies!" Immediately, he and his brothers took off after the winged fascinations.

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_Miracle was doing his best to keep up with Gonfflen as the young mouse half guided half dragged the little Puffal after him. He wasn't very happy with being pulled around a strange world by this over enthusiastic companion._

_Gonfflen, on the other hand, was very excited. He had been a street urchin before he had been taken in by Sir Galahad. While he was grateful that the warrior had taken him from the dangers that were all too plentiful in the streets of Mustellus, he missed being just able to run around. There was a lot of training in being a Star Warrior apprentice, and there weren't any other apprentices on Pop Star. He was determined to show Miracle a good time._

_Finally, the little Puffal had had enough. He succeeded in yanking his arm out of Gonfflen's hand. "Poyo!" he declared the annoyance clear in his tone. "Poyo poy poyo poyo poy poyo!" He pointed a little nub hand back in the direction of the base._

_The young mouse threw his arm around the Puffal's shoulders. "Aw, c'mon, Poyo," he said, "you can't tell me you came all this way to a new planet and you're not the least bit curious about what's out there." He motioned to the vast fields ahead of them. "This is all so neat! There's no way you can want to spend all your time in a stuffy old ship when there's all this to explore."_

_Miracle, however, was not interested in the strange planet, with who knows what lurking who knows where. Once again, he pointed in the direction of the Star Warrior ship. "Poyo," he stated seriously._

_Gonfflen sighed before throwing up his hands. "All right, all right, we'll go back. But first, I promised a friend I'd meet her. We'll go back right afterwards. Wanna come?"_

_The little Puffal sighed. He wanted to return right now and convince his parents that it was time to go home. However, he realized he wasn't going to be able to shake the overly enthusiastic mouse. "Poy poyo," he finally answered, shrugging his shoulders._

_The mouse grinned. "Great! We'll move fast, I promise." With that, he grabbed Miracle's hand and took off running again._

_Back at the station, the adults were still talking when a knave rushed up. "Sir Galahad! Sir Percival! Sir Heavy Knight! Lady Rosalyn! We have some trouble!"_

_Galahad was the first to respond to the youngster. "What is it, Nicolin?"_

_The knave panted as he spoke. "We were out on patrol when a great bird landed on us. There was a great fuss and the bird attacked us before falling over. I was told to get you, so I came as fast as I could, sir!"_

_ "__You did well," Percival said, placing a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder. "You rest." He turned to his companions. "Come with me to see what all the trouble is about?"_

_ "__Wouldn't miss it," Heavy Knight laughed as he and his wife replaced their helmets._

_The warriors ran out to see what was going on. There, lying flat on the ground was the largest bird they had ever seen. Its body and wings were mostly red, though bright rainbow colored feathers covered its wings in band. Its underbelly was white, and its head was also red but had a yellow crest. It had a deep head wound, and was clearly close to death._

_ "__Oh, my," Galahad breathed in amazement. He went over to the great bird and began examining the wound. The bird gave a cry and struggled. "There, there, girl. It's okay. No one here's going to hurt you."_

_The two Boxin stared in shock. "What is it?" Rosalyn asked, examining the huge bird from a distance. She had no eagerness to get close to those razor sharp talons._

_ "__It's a Dynablade," Percival answered. "One of the rarest and most amazing creature of Pop Star. Something's wrong, though. This one's a mature female. They're never seen alone, as they usually have at least one chick in tow. This one's alone and has been wounded by some sort of laser weapon."_

_ "__That would mean there are poachers in Dreamland," Heavy Knight said, not taking long to put the pieces together._

_Galahad nodded. "We had best call the little ones in. There's bound to be trouble soon."_

_ "__We're almost there!" Gonfflen called back to Miracle as the duo raced up a hill. "She'll be waiting for us up ahead."_

_ "__Poyo!" Miracle called back. He was severely out of breath. He was considering going back when he spotted something at the top of the hill. Standing there, looking down at them was a bright yellow baby bird._

_Gonfflen eagerly ran up to the bird. "Hey!" he called out, waving. "I hope you didn't wait too long!"_

_The bird happily cooed before nuzzling the young mouse. She then turned to Miracle, examining the young Puffal as curiously as he did her._

_ "__Poyo," Gonfflen said, motioning to the bird, "this is Dynachick. She's been my friend ever since I came to Pop Star. Her mom's the Dynablade!"_

_ "__Poyo!" Miracle laughed as the baby bird nuzzled him. Whatever else he thought of Dreamland, he liked Dynachick._

_Suddenly, Gonfflen's ears shot up. "Guys!" he yelled out. "Run!" He dashed over and pushed the bird and Puffal away from where they had been standing. He wasn't a moment too soon, either, for as soon as he did so, a net shot out and just missed the children. They fell in a small pile._

_A strange man stepped out from where the net had been shot. "Well, well, what have we here?" he said, examining the little pile of children. "Some trouble making brats, huh? You might come in handy." With that, he aimed his net gun at the trio._

To be continued…

_Author's Note: Time for credit! Gonfflen's name was inspired by a character from the series _Redwall,_ by Mr. Brian Jacques. I'll tell which character on the next update.-SilverWarriorWolf_


	10. Chapter 10: Little Miracle, Part Three

_I own none of the characters or settings in this story._

_All characters and settings are owned by Nintendo, Hal Laboratory, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc._

Episode Ten: Little Miracle, Part Three

The sun had started to lower in the sky, though the little Puffals, now all awake, were at a loss of that knowledge. They were eagerly rushing around, chasing after the butterflies, which flitted in and out of reach, as if playfully taunting their pursuers. Nearby, Phan-Phan, still asleep, was completely unaware of the little ones' newfound activity.

Kirsti in particular was getting into the chase. Her object of fascination, a bright yellow flutterer, had alighted on a flower. The little blue Puffal ducked down as quietly as she could, doing her best not to frighten the creature away. She then crept forwards, trying to come up slowly and quietly on the butterfly.

First you draw a circle,

( )

Then you dot the eyes,

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Add a great big smile,

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And Presto! It's Kirby!

However, the idea of slowly and quietly got thrown out of the picture by the arrival of Mikey. He too had targeted that butterfly in particular. Unlike his sister, however, he had a bit of a rougher approach to the hunt. He ran as fast as he could and practically tackled the flower.

Unsurprisingly, the butterfly did not just sit there. As soon as the white Puffal had rushed in, it took to the air, not wanting to be trampled by the overly enthusiastic baby.

Kirsti did not take this too well. "Miikii!" she cried out after he had frightened off her target. "Poyo poyo poyo poy poyo poyo poyo!"

Mikey got up and rubbed the back of his head apologetically. He had been completely unaware that someone else had any interest in that butterfly. "Poyo poy poyo. Poyo poyo, Kaastii."

She huffed in a frustrated manner and appeared to want to continue the conversation when something distracted her. Sitting up in one of the trees that the little ones were standing near was a bright red bird, which was preening its feathers.

The little girl saw her opportunity to try a sneak attack again. She signaled for Mikey to stay completely quiet and began to move around to the other side of the tree. From there, she began floating up at a steady pace until she had reached a branch on the same level of the bird's branch. When she had succeeded at reaching the level, she leaped.

The bird let out a cry of shock. It was a good deal larger than the puffer, but she held on with all the strength in her little body. It took to the air as quickly as it could, trying to shake its surprise passenger. Kirsti, who was for her part fully enjoying the ride, squealed in delight as she zipped through the air.

Mikey, who had been watching the whole incident with a wide eyed interest, now turned around and called to the others. "Poyo!" he called out. "Poyo poyo Kaastii poy poyo wheee!"

The rider looked down when she heard her brother give out the call. This distraction was just the opportunity that the bird needed. It gave a quick swoop, flipping upside down and flying close to the ground. This finally shook Kirsti from her perch, leaving her giggling on the ground.

The other Puffals rushed over to where she lay in a pile of red feathers. The littler boys eager, cheered and began looking for opportunities for similar experimentation. Kirby, on the other hand, was a different story.

"Kaastii, t'at no nice," he said, disapprovingly. "Need 'ta ask fi'st, o' else t'ey not like it."

"Poyo poyo, Kaabii," she sighed. The little one then pointed up at the wide blue sky. "Poy poyo poy, whee."

Kirby understood exactly what she was saying. She had wanted to see what it was like to fly. Not just float, but actually take flight over the wide fields. The pink Puffal thought for a moment. Then he spotted what was on the ground. This gave him an idea.

He picked up one of the feathers and motioned for the others to follow his lead. "G'ab a fettah," he said. "Kaabii show fwy!"

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_The little ones didn't dare to move as they stared down the barrel of the weapon pointed at them. The shock of the sudden attack had just about paralyzed the trio in terror._

_The stranger grinned. He had a good idea of how he was affecting the children, and had absolutely no problem with what was happening. "Now, there's no need for anyone to be hurt," he continued, keeping the net launcher leveled at the youngsters. "We just want the bird. You other two keep quiet, and you can go back to your parents as soon as possible."_

_That seemed to snap Gonfflen out of his stunned stupor. "You stay away from Dynachick, you big bully! Poyo and I are Star Warriors, and we're not about to let you hurt her!"_

_Miracle nodded in agreement, admiring his companion and inspired by his courage. He puffed himself up to make himself look bigger and let out a defiant "Poyo!"_

_The man laughed at that comment. "Star Warriors? I doubt you two together would make one warrior. Now stay out of our way, and you won't get hurt."_

_ "__You don't scare us!" Gonfflen called out. "We're not gonna back down, and if you hurt us, you'll bring down the whole GSA on you!" With that, the young mouse charged at their attacker._

_Despite his small size, the mouse did a rather good job of keeping their attacker at bay. As he charged, he turned back to the other two. "Poyo, go hide Dynachick. There are lots and lots of cave systems around here and she knows them well. Try to get her to them and she can take it from there. After that, go back to the base and get help!"_

_Miracle nodded. He took Dynachick by the wing and took off running. "Poyo poy poyo poyo," he explained, pointing out the path to safety. The thick woods would be difficult to navigate, particularly for one so young on his first trip there, but he'd have to do his best. Beside, hopefully, it would hide and protect them from their pursuers._

_The poacher took aim at the fleeing duo, but thanks to the small mouse currently attacking at his heels, he missed his shot. It was only a moment before the bird and Puffal vanished from sight._

_ "__You little brat!" he scowled at the young mouse. "You made me miss my shot!" He struck the youngster, throwing him backwards into a tree. The young mouse was hit hard and was knocked unconscious by the blow._

_The man grabbed the prone Gonfflen, tossing him in a burlap sack. "I'll deal with you later. Pon, Con! Get here now!" _

_At his call, a raccoon dog and fox rushed up and saluted. "Yes, sir, Spynum." The duo waited for their boss to give their orders._

_Spynum scowled. "We've located our prey, but several brats got in our way. I've got one of them here, but the other one, a creampuff kid, got away with the bird. I want you to catch them and bring them back to the ship."_

_The duo of mooks saluted. "Got it, sir!" With that, they turned around, off to pursue the fleeing Miracle._

_Their boss called back one more set of instructions. "You'd better hurry up and find them! Our buyer won't wait forever! Don't let them reach that Star Warrior ship!"_

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Kirby excitedly lead his siblings on a flight over the bright territories of Dreamland. It had taken a few minutes to wake Phan-Phan up and tell him what they were doing. The good natured creature said that it sounded like fun, but that he had probably best head home. They said their goodbyes before the little Puffal turned back to his teaching.

As this was the first time any of the Puffalings had used the wing ability, he decided to start out lower so as not to risk any of the littler ones getting hurt.

However, his caution, while commendable, had not been complete necessary. The youngsters took to the new abilities like a fish takes to water. Before long, anyone who happened to glance up could see a trail of eight Puffals, decked out in feathered headdresses, gliding happily along with the clouds.

It was the times like this that the young star warrior lived for. Here he was, showing his young siblings the simple delights there were in just being alive. This beautiful land, which they called home, was so bright and free and open, and there was nothing like seeing it from the skies. It was a shame that he needed the wing ability, which was often rather difficult to get, to see it like this. Meta Knight was lucky to have wings all the time.

He glanced back to make certain that everyone was with him. Sure enough, close behind him each of the little ones flew, amazed at the beautiful sight below. They were only about a week and a half old, and had spent the majority of that short life in an exotic but confining enclosure. The odd, bright nature of their surroundings astonished and amazed them.

Every couple of minutes, one of the little ones would call out in delight and point out one of Dreamland's amazing landmarks. Kirby would happily explain what it was as they flew over. It was rather difficult to resist the temptation to fly down and land at every single one of these amazing destinations. However, it would not be very good to get lost, so they remained in the sky as they worked their way to the palace.

The little ones touched down on one of the spires that jutted out from Castle Dedede when the time for their flight had ended. Kirby had gotten hungry over the course of their little adventure, and he knew that this time, in the middle of the afternoon, was the perfect time to sneak into the kitchen's to get a snack.

After discarding the wing ability, the Puffalings crept close behind him as they went down the halls of the Castle. Other than the odd Waddle Dee, there was no one to be seen. Dedede was probably taking one of his midafternoon naps, and everyone else had some duty or other to attend to. That meant that the kitchens would be ripe for the taking.

Sure enough, when they got there, there was no one present. Not even the few Waddle Dees who typically worked on the meals were there. They'd be taking a break before they returned to begin preparing dinner. This left the refrigerator wide open.

Eagerly the young Puffals fell upon the receptacle with gusto. Just about any fruit found was quickly grabbed and consumed. Kirby made certain that anything wrapped or sealed was left alone, as it was likely for dinner later, but anything left in the open was free game.

The young ones had been enjoying their snack time so much that it came as a shock when a voice piped up. "What a mess!" Lady Like cried as she entered the kitchen. "Kirby, did you do this?"

Kirby rubbed the back of his head. "Sowwy, poyo. We go' hung'y."

The Dreamlander lady sighed and shook her head. "Kirby, you need to ask before you do something like this, especially when you bring the little ones with you. Look at them. They'll need a bath now." She pointed out the younger Puffals, who certainly had found a way to coat themselves in fruit juice. "I'll give them a bath now, but you should help to clean this mess." She then guided the babies back to the apartment.

Several Waddle Dees came up and started to clean. Kirby helped some, but the diligent creatures were swift with the work. Soon, everything was put back in order and the little Puffal was left on his own again.

Kirby sat for a moment. Once again, he was on his own and had nothing to do. That's when it dawned on him. Why, Dedede would be awake by now. Certainly he would have something to do!

The young Star Warrior left to seek out the Pengu.

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_Miracle fled as fast as his feet would take him. Close behind, Dynachick panted, desperate to keep close to him. He tried to remember what Gonfflen had told him. There was a cave system somewhere close, but where? He glanced all around him. There was nothing to see for miles around. Oh, where were they and what were they going to do now?_

_The little Puffal sat down, uncertain of what to do. They had gotten away from that strange bad man, but he got Gonfflen. He might not have liked the mouse's over-enthusiasm, but Miracle didn't want him to get hurt. If only there was something he could do!_

_He began crying as the pressure got to him. He pressed his paws to his eyes to hide this fact, but it was clear what he was doing._

_Dynachick gently nuzzled the Puffal, trying to get him to calm down. It distressed her to see her new friend upset, so she did her best to comfort him._

_Miracle appreciated the gesture. "Poyo poyo poy poyo," he said, wrapping his little arms around the bird._

_Suddenly, a new voice spoke up. "Aww, well isn't that sweet?" The duo shot up at the sound of the voice. Coming out of the forest at the two youngsters was a strange fox and raccoon dog. They both were clutching sacks in their hands, and Miracle got the idea that they were working with their previous attacker._

_The baby Puffal boldly stood between the newcomers and Dynachick. "Poyo poyo poyo!" he called out boldly. He held up his paws in a fighting stance, making it clear that he wasn't just going to run away._

_This made the newcomers laugh. "Ah, so we have a hero here, do we?" the fox snorted. "Well, Puffy, I wouldn't recommend getting in our way. Just hand over the bird and no one gets hurt."_

_"__Poy poyo!" Miracle yelled, before throwing himself on their aggressors. The child, as was typical for Inhaler Puffals, had very hard feet and a nasty kick. Even though he was small, he dealt out near debilitating blows on their attackers' shins._

_As their pursuers clutched at their injured legs, the little ones took off running again. They had to make it back to the base and get the adults help, and soon!_

_The duo of crooks recovered a few minutes after the attack. They were now determined to catch the duo, and make that little runt pay for that!_

_Now Miracle was panting, desperate to keep ahead of the crooks but keeping Dynachick near. His little body tired out quickly, but now there would be no opportunity for rest. If those bad guys caught up, they'd be captured. The young Puffal didn't want to think about what would happen to them if that happened._

_After a few moments, though, hope sprang anew. There, just beyond the tree line, was the ship! They'd be safe as soon as they reached the great metal haven._

_With a renewed vigor, Miracle began racing faster. It was within his sight. Soon, they'd be safe. Soon, they'd have nothing to worry about._

_Then he felt something on the ground. It slid up the baby's foot, tripping him up and sending both him and Dynachick headfirst into a net. The net was then hauled up into a tree, leaving the two little ones struggling in the fibers of their prison._

_Underneath, their pursuers caught up, a look of cruel mirth in their eyes. "Well, well," the fox said, grinning up at the frightened tykes, "looks like the traps work. We'll bring these two back to Spynum in a while. First, the creampuff pays."_

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King Dedede was in a bad mood. How could he not be in a bad mood? Everything that had happened yesterday had been a disaster. Those two idiots lost control of the monster, so instead of defeating it and becoming the hero of the hour, he had been knocked unconscious by it and had to be rescued. Even worse, when he came to, he found out that the monster had been stopped by Kirby! Why, that little pink runt stole his spotlight again! Oh, how Dedede wanted to complain about everything to someone.

However, there was no one around. As difficult as it was to believe, the Pengu had yet to run into a single talking soul within the whole palace. It was as if everyone was purposefully avoiding him. He tried complaining to the odd Waddle Dee that he would see every couple of minutes, but they'd only nod and continue on their way. So now the Pengu was wandering around, trying to find anyone who he could take his bad mood out on.

"Hey, Marx!" he yelled out. "Bandana Dee! Sir Ebrum! Yo, Meta Knight! Where is everybody?" He was quickly losing his temper. "Isn't anyone in this palace!?"

He got his answer sooner than he expected.

"Poyo!" Kirby called out, happy to have found Dedede. He eagerly ran up to the Pengu. "Poyo, Dedededededededede, hi! Ev'y t'ing is cween now, poyo, so wan'na pway wiv Kaabii?" the little warrior asked.

Dedede scowled. He's rather be on his own than have to play babysitter to the very baby that humiliated him. "Get lost, Pinky. Don't you have someone else to annoy?"

Kirby tapped the side of his head, thinking of an answer to the question. "T'e babies are havin' baff, and Phan-Phan go home. Ot'er kids ah busy, an' Medikni go somewhe'e wit' Swowd and Bwade an' Kaabii don' know whe'e. So, no." He grinned brightly. "Dededededededede wan'na pway wiv Kaabii?"

Dedede was about to tell Kirby to scram again when a mean idea came to him. He looked around the empty hallway until he found a small, heavy ornament. He picked it up and held it aloft. "So you want to play a game?" he asked the child. "Because I know of a really good game."

Kirby grinned, his bright blue eyes beaming in innocent delight. "Yah! Yah! Kaabii wan'na pway weally goo' game!"

Dedede smirked. "See this statue?" he asked. He practically pressed the small item into Kirby's face.

The tot nodded excitedly. "Yah! Kaabii see it! Now wha'?"

Dedede casually walked over to a window that overlooked the river that passed alongside Castle Dedede. He calmly opened in the window, and flung the little statue out of the window and into the river. He then turned back to the young Puffal. "Now," he continued, pointing in the direction that the statue had flown, "you go find it, and you don't come back inside until you've found it. You win when you bring it back. Got it?"

Kirby looked out of the window at the river. It seemed like an odd game to him. I mean, wasn't a game supposed to involve two or more people? Oh, well. If that was what Dedede wanted to play, then Kirby was willing to play it, even if it did confuse him a bit.

After a few moments of thought, he smiled and turned back to Dedede. "Kay!" he said, every cheerful. "Kaabii go fin' it, so Kaabii win!" With that, the little one dashed out to complete his quest.

When he had gone, Dedede couldn't help but laugh at his own cleverness. That puny puffball would never find such a small trinket. Kirby wouldn't be coming back to bother him any time soon.

That did, however, bring him back to his previous problem. There was nobody around to complement him on his ingenuity. He was on his own once more.

"Bandana Dee!" he called out in frustration. "Where the heck is everyone?!"

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_Miracle looked down in fright. Their enemies had caught up with them, and there was no chance for escape. They weren't going to be able to escape now. Tears began to cloud in Miracle's eyes. Now he wasn't going to see Mama or Papa again. These bad men were going to take him, and Gonfflen, and Dynachick away forever. The small hole which was the opening in the net seemed to mock the young Puffal._

_However, the opening gave him an idea. He glanced over at Dynachick. He knew of his inhale ability. It was something instinctual for an Inhaler Puffal. And if he did this right, he might not be able to escape, but Dynachick would._

_Con laughed as they lowered the net. "They boss'll be happy to see what we caught," he sniggered. "That bird'll fetch us a small fortune."_

_ "__The two Star Warrior brats are rather valuable as well," Pon added. "Knowing that band of goody-two shoes, they'd do anything to keep their precious fledglings safe. These two will make certain that none of the warriors bothers us."_

_Con opened up the net, prepared to dump the duo into a bag that had been brought with. However, the moment that the small hole that was the opening of the net was widened, a bright gold star shot out of it. It zipped past, landing a good distance off, nearer to the Star Warrior base._

_Within the net, Miracle began the struggle again. He was frantic to escape, and did as much as he could to wiggle free._

_ "__Close it, you moron!" Pon yelled. He snatched the net away from Con. "Here, I'll deal with the creampuff brat. I'd bet my whiskers the bird was in that star. You'd better go find it, or else the boss'll have your tail."_

_ "__And what are you going to do?" Con asked, frustrated that he had been volunteered for search duty._

_Pon slung the still struggling Miracle over his shoulder. "Get this back to the boss. Better one certain captive than two lost ones." With that, he turned back, leaving the fox to find the missing chick._

_Meanwhile, the adult warriors raced through the forest, looking for the little ones. Trouble like this had never happened in Dreamland before, so there had never been a problem in allowing the youngsters the time to roam. However, the farther from the base they got the more frantic the adults were feeling._

_They had soon traveled from the edge of the forest and back in their search for the children's location. "This is strange," Galahad said as they neared the base once more. "Gonfflen has been through this forest many times before, and has never gotten lost or wandered too far. I can't think of where they might have gotten to."_

_Rosalyn was desperate. "Miracle!" she cried out, on the off-hand chance that her son would hear her cry. "Where are you? Please respond!"_

_Heavy Knight laid a hand on his wife's shoulders. "We'll find them soon," he said, trying to be reassuring. "The boys will be alright."_

_ "__I hope your right," she sighed. "Wait, what's that?"_

_Heavy Knight could hear it too, and while Galahad and Percival couldn't, they were aware of the Boxin race's keen sense of hearing and followed their friend to the location of the mysterious sound. There, laying in a small pile of leaves and surrounded by bright yellow shards, was little Dynachick. The little bird sat, confused and crying, and did not notice as the newcomers approached her._

_ "__I'll be!" Galahad declared. "It's the Dynablade chick!" He did his best to keep his voice low as he approached the frightened little bird. "Now, now, come here, little one," he said in a hushed voice. "We aren't going to harm you. We only want to take you back to your mother."_

_While he was coaxing the little bird from her hiding space, the others examined the area. Percival picked up one of the multiple shards that surrounded the area. "What are these?" he asked. He handed the small item over to Heavy Knight. "They seem to be all over the place."_

_"__I've seen these before," the Boxin said, turning the golden piece over in his hands. "On Popopo, I believe."_

_ "__I should hope so," Galahad responded. He had succeeded in coaxing Dynachick out of her hiding place and had joined the others in examining the area. "It's the fragments of an Inhaler's golden star. I suspect young Miracle probably had a hand in whatever happened here."_

_ "__But he's so young," Rosalyn said, a tone of doubt in her voice. She adjusted her weapon, a large Pole-axe, over her shoulder. "Beside, he's never inhaled anything before, and he hasn't seen anyone who can."_

_Galahad shook his head. "Doesn't matter. He might not know about his copy ability yet, but inhaling is something that is inborn in them. When in dangerous situations, they will inhale by sheer instinct."_

_The tone grew extremely dark, and none of them wanted to voice what concern filled them all. If Miracle had been frightened enough to use his inhale for the first time, what sort of dangers had the young ones run into?_

_The tense quiet was broken by the sound of a muttering voice. "Stupid kids. This was supposed to be the easy haul. We come in, grab the bird, and get out. No run ins with Star Warriors, and no Star Warrior brats to mess things up. But no, not only does that young rat interfere, but once we actually catch the bird, that creampuff kid ruins that and now I have to go find it. I guess the boss will be dealing with him now-hey!"_

_The grumbler was cut off as Rosalyn hauled him roughly out of the bushes. It was Con, who had been scrounging for a sign of the missing Dynachick. The Boxin lady pushed the fox against a tree and smashed the blade of her Pole-axe by his head. "Where is my son!?" she roared, making it clear that she was not going to be lied to._

_Con froze at this happening. He hadn't expected anything like this, and was not quite certain how to respond in a way that would not result in the loss of his head. "Yo-your son? I can't say I know what you're talking about. I w-was just-"_

_ "__Do not lie to me, scum!" Rosalyn growled. "You mentioned my son. Now where is he?"_

_ "__I r-really don't know what you mean." Con was now certain he was going to die. "There haven't been any Boxin children here."_

_Heavy Knight glared at the fox. He spoke next, though he did not come between his wife and the focus of her anger. "The children we are looking for are a young Puffal and mouse. We have heard, from your own admittance, that you mean two youngsters fitting that description harm. I would recommend you tell us where the children have been taken immediately."_

_Con looked up at the four Star Warriors. Each of the men was wielding a large sword, and Lady Rosalyn still had her Pole-axe dangerously close to his head. It was totally obvious that these were all well-trained warriors who had faced and defeated things far more dangerous than a couple of thieves and poachers. He didn't want to risk any of the clearly hostile warriors attacking him, so he spilled the whole story._

_Once the story had been given, Galahad straightened up. "Alright," the purple Puffal stated. "Percival, please get this chick back to the base and with her mother. That'll be the best place for them at this time. Heavy Knight, Rosalyn, and I will go retrieve the children. I have no doubt that the three of us are enough to deal with a few bandits."_

_Percival nodded and picked up the little chick. "Got it. See you when you return." With that, he turned and headed back to the base._

_ "__Now," Galahad picked up the fox. "You are going to lead us to where the children were taken. Make no mistake; you will not lead us astray. If you do, then the good lady here will be allowed to finish what she started."_

_Con glanced over at the still enraged Rosalyn. He gulped anxiously. "Y-yes sir. Whatever you say, sir."_

_Spynum glared at the young mouse that was now tied up in the corner. Gonfflen had awoken shortly after being brought back to the base, and had proved to be just as difficult to restrain as before. It had taken a good fifteen minutes for the poacher to keep the youngster down, and even then he had not escaped without being bitten several times._

_In return, the child glared right back without any problem. Gonfflen made no bones about it that he did not fear his captors, and that they were going to be in for it when rescue came._

_The sound of someone coming up pulled Spynum away from the rather heated stare-off. It was Pon, who was carrying a madly struggling bag behind him. "The bird got away, boss," the raccoon dog said as he slung the sack down, "but we got the other kid. Con went to catch the getaway while I brought this one back."_

_ "__Good. At the very least, there won't be any Star Warrior trouble." Spynum then turned to the sack. "Now about you." He opened the package and pulled a wildly struggling Miracle up by the skin on the back of his head._

_This was too much for the baby Puffal. He had been dragged around, chased, trapped, and frightened for a good portion of the day. He had had enough of this nonsense. "Poyo!" he declared emphatically. "Poy poyo poyo poyo p'yo poyo!" He emphasized the anger in the last part by spitting at Spynum's feet._

_The poacher responded by throwing the little one back in the bag. He went over and grabbed Gonfflen as well, and flung the two of them in a chest, which he then locked. Those two were troublemakers and would need to be dealt with. Not that it would matter much. Once they caught the bird and got off this rinky-dink planet, there would be plenty of slave markets who would be willing to take the duo off his hands._

_He turned when the sound of footsteps sounded nearby. "Ah, Con, you're back." Spynum got up, eager to get a good look at their loot. "You'd better have that bird with you. I want to put as much distance between us and this place as possible."_

_The fox stumbled forwards, as if he had been flung into the tent. It soon became clear that that was exactly what had happened._

_Rosalyn charged forwards first, catching the stunned Spynum by his neck. "What have you done with my son?" she snarled as the other Star Warriors followed her into the makeshift lair._

_ "__Son?" Spynum stuttered, not eager to meet the eyes of the enraged Star Lady. "I have no idea what you're talking about."_

_ "__Don't lie to her, boss," Con called over from where he and Pon were being restrained by Heavy Knight and Galahad. "She's crazy and will skin us alive!"_

_Spynum's mouth went dry and his mind raced desperately for something to say. However, someone else spoke up first._

_ "__Mama!" Miracle squeaked from inside the chest he was imprisoned in._

_In a heartbeat, Rosalyn broke open the lock to the chest, freeing the captive boys within. Her expression changed to extremely soft and maternal the moment she had found the little Puffal. "It's alright, Miracle," she whispered, pulling the little one up into her arms._

_Gonfflen, once released, rushed over to Galahad to explain his and Miracle's parts of the story. Spynum, now released from the chokehold, tried to take the moment to slip out, but was caught by his collar by Heavy Knight._

_ "__You aren't going anywhere," the Boxin warrior growled. "We already know your little scheme to capture the Dynablade. Now, who was this buyer of yours?"_

_ "__I don't really know," Spynum said, covering his head. "He only spoke through a representative. The spokesman called himself Jack or Jake or something, but the buyer himself was never named. The spokesman also supplied all our weapons. Honest! Please don't hurt me!"_

_Heavy Knight nodded and cuffed the poacher. "You won't be hurt, but you and your companions are under arrest on the charges of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, as well as poaching."_

_The group headed back, prisoners in tow. That was the last time that any young ones were allowed to wander on their own on any planet. They were unaware, however, of what this small adventure portended to._

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"'It has taken a while for Miracle to warm up to Gonfflen, but it seems that they have become good friends,'" Adeleine read aloud as she finished the passage. "'Adventures seem to have that effect on people. Perhaps we are seeing the founding of a new team going on.'"

Ribbon chuckled. "So Kirby's been fighting bad guys long before he came to Pop Star? That makes sense."

"That would be our Kirby for certain," Chuchu added.

Ado had been looking for another passage to restore while the others spoke. She soon came on a very short excerpt and began inking it in, but froze when she finished it. "What!?" she finally declared when he understood what she had just written.

"What is it?" Tiff asked. "What did you find?"

The artist pointed to the passage she had just inked, slack-jawed with shock. Adeleine picked the journal up and read what was written. "The christening day has finally come and gone. Today, our young ones have received their badges and names. The excitement can be felt everywhere, but it seems as if no one is quite as excited as Rosalyn and I are. Today, our young Miracle had taken his first steps to becoming Meta Knight.'"

The whole room became extremely quiet. After what seemed like forever, Lololo spoke. "So that was Meta Knight, not Kirby?"

"I guess everyone had to have a childhood," Lalala said. "Even people like Meta Knight."

"Yeah, but who would have thought he was so different back then," Tuff added.

There was another period of silence, which was only broken by the sound of knocking on the door. Rick jumped up to answer it, and found Meta Knight himself standing outside.

"I have just come to tell the children that it is growing late," the warrior said, as quick and to the point as usual. "I would recommend that they be heading home soon. They don't want their parents to worry, after all."

"Ah, yes, of course," Rick said quickly. "We're just finishing something up here and then I'll make sure their on their way. Thanks for reminding us, Mir-Meta Knight."

The knight looked in curiously for a moment, before turning to go. "Very well. Good evening to you."

Ado sighed as she placed the journal back into her bag. "That was a close one. We'll have to keep this to ourselves. Even Kirby can't find out."

"Why not?" Ribbon asked.

"Remember what Meta Knight did yesterday with that holodeck?" Tuff answered. "If he found out about this, he might burn it or something."

"Tuff's right," Tiff agreed. "This might be our only way of figuring out what's going on, so we'd better keep quiet on this. Kirby can't find out because he can't keep a secret."

Adeleine nodded. "Ado and I will keep restoring, and we'll keep you up to date on the important parts. Until then, this is between us." The group all nodded, and then each turned to head home.

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The dark passage of the dungeon was lit only by a few torches that glowed from the walls. The grim hallways were abandoned by all except the vermin that inhabited the dark region. As such, there were no witnesses to the dark man who strode down it.

Honest John continued his trek down to the lowest realms in the Nightmare Empire. This was where items that would be of value to Nightmare one day were held, ready for use when the time came. Weapons, fossils from strange horrors, and other bizarre things were housed down here, but the crony walked right past them, up to his true intent.

It was a portrait of a Paintrian witch, garbed in a patchwork of blues, purples, and yellows. Her long blue hair flowed out from under the purple witch's hat she wore. A pink scarf was held in place over her face with two golden clasps. A pair of fierce gold eyes peered out from between the hat and scarf.

Honest John stood directly in front of the portrait and brought out a paint brush. In a quick motion, he rammed the brush against the painting. "Drawcia," he called as the brush dissolved into the frame, "come on out."

The painting rippled and flowed in response. After a few moments of the effect, the witch herself emerged from the painting, becoming as real and solid as everything else in the room. "At last!" she declared. "I am free! Free to wreak my revenge!"

She prepared to fly out, but was interrupted by Honest John. "I wouldn't be leaving quite so soon," he said calmly.

Drawcia turned to look at him and laughed. "And who are you who thinks he can tell the great Paintrian Sorceress what she can and cannot do?"

He flashed a slick grin as he held out his hand. "My name is Honest John. I am a representative of Nightmare, the Emperor of Terrors. And," he added quickly, "your new master."

The witch laughed once more at this comment. "I have no master," she declared. "You can tell this Nightmare that I am not some slave who will come at his every beck and call."

The crony just shrugged. "As you wish. Nightmare is in control of this portrait, so I guess you'll just have to finish out your sentence for the Calligra issue. How long were you supposed to spend in there? Oh, that's right." He gave a cruel grin. "Eternity."

That caught Drawcia's attention. She was well aware that whoever controlled that portrait could imprison her at will. She had no desire to be pulled back into her canvas prison. "Fine," she said after a few moments. "What does Lord Nightmare want with me?"

Immediately, the representative switched back into business mode. "I'm so glad you asked. As it is, there is a little pest that has been bothering the master, and he has come up with a way to rid himself of this pest once and for all." He quickly handed the witch a set of papers with multiple formulas written on them. "So, what do you think?"

Drawcia raised an eyebrow. "I can do this, but not alone. It will require a lot of paint magic, and that's even if Nightmare plans on aiding in the spell."

"Already handled!" Honest John added. "We have agents of ours searching for your sister as we speak. Once she is found, then the great plan can be put into action. Until then, we have another job for you to handle. Do you think you could use your special abilities to make these?"

He handed her another sheet, and she frowned at what was portrayed. "You insult me," she stated curtly. "I could make these in my sleep."

"Good. Just do as the master orders, and all will be well." He turned to go, but quickly turned around. "Oh, I nearly forgot. To insure loyalty, Lord Nightmare has included one promise to sweeten the deal."

Drawcia scowled. "What could he have that would be of any interest to me?"

"Oh, nothing that he has now, but he knows where what you desire most is."

The witch jumped up in surprise. "What! They were destroyed before I ended up in that accursed painting!"

"Quite the contrary," the middleman said. "The only problem is, they currently are in the possession of some of the allies of this particular pest. So, the deal is, help Nightmare with his creampuff problem, and what you want is all yours. So, do we have a deal?" He held out his hand.

Drawcia gave a sly grin. "Your master drives a hard bargain, but I accept." She took the crony's hand and shook.

Nightmare immediately saw it when the deal was made, as a new black chess piece in the shape of Drawcia materialized on his chess board. He grinned darkly, knowing he had gained a powerful servant that he could use against his enemies. That wretched Puffal would not have an easy time escaping the wrath of NME.

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Meta Knight stood by the river that flowed by the forest, deep in his own thought. He was considering everything that had gone on over the last few days, and was trying to come up with some solution to the problems that were arising. As he was deep in thought, something popped up, startling the warrior from his contemplations.

"Kaabii found it!" Kirby happily declared as he bounced out of the water. "Kaabii win!"

Meta Knight steadied himself, as he had been shocked by his apprentice's sudden appearance. "Kirby! What on Pop Star were you doing in there!?"

The little one had been unaware of his mentor's presence until that moment. However, the sudden revelation did not shake the excited youngster, who happily brandished the small ornament. "Kaabii found it, so Kaabii win game!" he repeated happily.

The older warrior sighed as he began drying the little one off. "Kirby, you are aware you are not supposed to go near the river alone. What do you think you were doing?"

"Dedededededede said goo' game," Kirby answered. "He say Kaabii go get thing, then Kaabii win."

So this was Dedede's fault. He should have expected this. Once more, Meta Knight sighed. "Kirby, in the future, if Dedede tells you to do something, you come and ask me first, alright?"

The pink Puffal nodded. "A'ight. Kaabii ask Medikni fi'st, poyo."

The Star Warrior shook his head in dismay. He was going to have to have a word with that Pengu when they got back. "Alright, let's go home now." With that, the two headed on their way.

To be continued...

_Author's Note: To answer the question from last time, the character who inspired Gonfflen's name was Gonff, from the series _Redwall,_ by Brian Jacques._

_Announcement time once again! Things have come up, and it has become impractical for me to update on Wednesdays anymore. Thus, you can expect the next chapter, Enter, From the Shadows, Part One, on Monday, January 19th. After that, my updates will be on Mondays. Hope to hear from you! - SilverWarriorWolf._


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